The Lone Dragon Emperor
by Nosferatu869
Summary: Issei was just a normal, perverted, playful boy, but because of a certain organization that had yet to reveal themselves, he lost his family. Over nothing but petty conflict that didn't involve them. Now he must live through the hell that is the unfortunate life of the Sekiryuutei. Would it be wrong to say that he is cursed? Maybe not. After all, he truly is— the boy who suffers...
1. Chapter 1: The Boy

**Hello there! You may or may not know me, unless you read my other stories, but this is my 3rd story. So for those of you who are new to me and my stories, welcome! For those of you who are following me or my other stories, welcome back. And yes, I'm making another story. Don't worry, don't worry. Like I said with my second story, this story will not get in the way of my other stories. Those take priority. In terms of importance the stories would go: 1. Red Dragon Of Golden Light, 2. Red Dragon Of Stupidity, 3. This one. That doesn't mean this story will be dead for months at a time (like CERTAIN writers on this site). I will still try to update this story at least once a month like my other stories, which I update twice a month. So this story will still live well I'm just saying the other stories are more important. Anyway, this story came up as an idea after I received a challenge fic. My 3rd one! The first one I forgot because it was uninteresting. The 2nd one….was a lemon story...I'll explain later...And this one! Technically….You see, the person who actually sent me a challenge gave me one that was just waaaaaay too ridiculous and just kind of stupid. I'm sorry but if you're gonna send me a challenge fic send me one that isn't ABSOLUTELY INSANE. His challenge started as a Self insert/OC becomes Issei after dying. Which is unacceptable. I hate stories like that. So then I had him fix it and Issei was somebody who had his family killed at a young age but after that it was just INSANE. Having a Harem with like 10 or more members? Making the Devils into antagonists? Having certain characters as harem members just because you want it instead of it making sense? OP Issei? Issei has powers that don't make sense within the original universe?**

 **I CAN'T! I'm sorry but I just f*cking can't! I absolutely detest stories that are so ludicrous that they can't even be written properly. Like come on guys can't we think of more original and simple ideas as a community?**

 **Anyway, no hate to that guy, everyone has their own preferences I guess. But in the end we had so many disagreements about the story that it ended up just being an idea of my own and not even one he came up with. They were just completely different stories. He's not even the reason I thought of this story. It's thanks to my boy JC who wrote "Red Dragons power" (check it out) because it essentially has the same premise. It's just that having that talk with that guy convinced me to actually write this because he said "Issei has his family killed and awakens his Sacred Gear" and that made me think of JCs story so I just said "f*ck it I'll do it". So yeah.**

 **I won't be naming the challenger because I don't want to put him on the spot but at the very least I'll say that without him I wouldn't have made the decision to write this so here we go. This one goes out to our boy JC!**

 **(Lol, "two stories." Ah, what a young and naive lad I was.)**

 **Speech =** "..."

 **Thoughts =** _'...'_

 **Sfx = _Sound/SOUND!_**

 **Flashbacks = ("...")**

* * *

 _ **THE BOY**_

* * *

In a town known as "Kuoh", there was once a normal family, living happily, in a normal house.

The family consisted of 3 members. The mother, the father, and the young boy - their son. This family was known as the Hyoudou family.

The young boy, despite being born into a normal family, unbeknownst to even himself, was a special case.

This boy's name — was Hyoudou Issei.

 _ **Ding!**_

"Ise! Lunch is ready~!"

The one who called out for the boy was his mother.

She called to him from the kitchen of their home. A timer had dinged from the left side of the stove, indicating that whatever his mother was cooking up was done settling, and was ready to serve. Though she was already preparing the table, which her husband, the boy's father, was sitting at, she still received no response from her son.

"Iseeeeeee! ...Honey, where is Ise and why isn't he answering me?"

The boy's mother questioned her husband, wondering why it was she was receiving no response from her hyper, playful, loud, and food addicted boy when lunch was ready.

The boy's father, who was reading a newspaper in a stereotypical manner, simply answered her casually, while continuing to read.

"Hmm? Ah, Ise? If you're asking about Ise, he left quite a bit ago. Most likely he went to the park."

"What?! When was it that he left? He didn't even say anything."

"Mm... I think he may have left around an hour and a half ago? I didn't notice it right away either. He must've gone unnoticed intentionally."

The boy's mother glanced towards the door worriedly.

"..But to not tell us? It doesn't seem normal at all."

"Well, he has been quiet lately. Irina has just left and now he's all alone, after all."

"..That's true, but then, where could he have gone? Even if he's sad, even more than that, Ise does not like being alone. It wouldn't make sense for him to go to the park with no one.. I would've at least expected him to ask you to play with him a bit."

The father continued speaking to his wife as she set the table.

"Mm.. Maybe he went off to talk with that old man?"

"Oh, goodness no! I hate that old man! Such a dirty, perverted, person is a bad influence on my poor Ise. He should be arrested!"

"Hahahaha! Now, now, Kaa-san. Isn't that going a bit far? He is young. Ise is just trying to look up to someone. I don't see any harm in it."

"HA! —Are you joking? He is the worst role model there is! He is the last person Ise should be around! Don't you see that he is making Ise think of bad things? Just last month when we took him to the beach, all he did was make large, round mounds of sands mimicking Oppai, instead of sand castles like Irina!"

"Oh, come on! He's a boy. I'm sure I did something similar when I was younger."

"At the age of 6? I highly doubt such a thing. Not only that, but he's done worse! Just a week ago, when I decided to bathe him after so long, he asked me what was it that was inside my breasts! Then, when I told him it was nothing but fat, he asked if he could t-touch them!? Do you have any idea how ashamed I was?!"

"Hahahahahaha! I think you may be confusing "lecherous" for something else, honey. To me, that just seems like a child's curiosity. I like to touch your breasts and that doesn't make me lecherous."

"You're my husband."

"And he is your son."

To her husband's response, the mother gave an almost hopeless sigh of despair.

"Haah... Nevermind, you are a lecherous husband so it is useless."

"I am lecherous and he is curious. I see no difference."

"How do you expect him to take responsibility for his actions if you always take his side?"

"He's my boy. I will always take his side."

"And will you take his side if I have you sleep in the living floor?"

"Yes. Then I will just sleep with Ise in his room."

"And if I forbid you?"

"Then I will sleep with Ise in the living room futon."

"You would force Ise to join you?"

"No. But he will join me because he will not want me to be lonely. I know my son."

"HAAH... Such troublesome boys."

The mother sighed once more, finally taking a seat at the table. She sounded irritated with her family's actions, but she was smiling sweetly.

* * *

 **Part 1**

 _ **Rrr**_ ….. _ **Rrr**_ …

The subtle sound of rusted metal. An empty swing moving back and forth, slowly.

A boy was swinging on the next swing oh so slightly. Alone. Looking to his feet with a melancholic expression, his shoes not fully reaching the ground below him.

The boy named Hyoudou Issei.

"Ossan wasn't here today, huh…"

The boy said that meekly, to no one in particular.

It seems the person he had expected to see wasn't present. He was the only one in the park.

"...Guess I'll go home then…"

He spoke half heartedly to himself again. No matter how odd it would seem, the boy felt like there was possibly someone listening. Or at the very least, he never truly felt alone. He wondered why he always felt that way, despite his newfound loneliness.

Issei stood up from the swing and proceeded to make his way home in silence.

He felt odd.

For some reason, he felt like he wasn't at that park for that long. And yet, it was somehow already sunset. He had arrived at the park around 3PM. It couldn't have been that he was sitting there doing nothing for that long.

Not only that, but it seemed like there weren't many people around as well. Usually, more people would be at the park so that Issei could at least play with someone else while he was there.

But, this time, nobody was there, all day. From the time he arrived, to now when he was leaving. It's almost as if they were avoiding it. To be fair, not many people actually went to that park altogether, but there were some kids and their parents. Circumstances aside, there should be at least one family, or a couple kids.

As a matter of fact...it didn't even seem like there were people around in general.

Issei didn't see anyone outside of their houses on his way to the park, but that much was normal within a residential area. The problem was that you would see a car pass by the park occasionally on weekdays. People heading to and from work, or to the store, or elsewhere.

But he didn't see any cars today. He didn't even hear them. It was like he was the only person left on earth...

As Issei was walking home, he noticed something.

—A smell.

A pungent, and unfamiliar smell. An unpleasant smell.

But he could not pinpoint where it was originating from. Almost like it was all around him. It made him feel uneasy. He decided to walk a bit more quickly towards his home.

His home….wasn't this far...?

For some reason, even though he was walking down the right path, it seemed like he should've already reached the exit of the large park…. It was a longer walk than expected...

He felt incredibly uneasy. He felt like his instincts were trying to warn him of something.

Something behind him? But there was nothing there.

No, maybe it was something that was "all around" him. He certainly felt like that was the case. As if he was locked in some never-ending dome.

"Haah... Hah…"

Issei's breathing became ragged.

What's going on? He wasn't tired. He was walking a bit quickly, but definitely not enough to warrant him being out of breath. The reason was simple.

He was afraid.

He doesn't know what it is that he fears, but he can feel it.

It's right next to him. It's over him. It's all around him. In this "dome" of a world. A world that never ends. A place he can't escape.

Just as he was feeling paranoid, the sky began to curve. It looked as if the evening sky was now visibly a ceiling. The path he was going down began curving upwards as well. Almost like he was peering over a hilltop that was gradually rising before. He could only think one thing.

—It was like a dome.

Issei started running. It wasn't a full on sprint, but nevertheless, the boy was making his way quickly down the path.

He was right. The ground below him was curved upward. The more he ran, the more he would just see more of the same concrete rolling over the top. It was as if the path was endless. As if the world was contained within some sort of fisheye lens.

He then felt something approaching him from behind. Yet when he glanced back, he saw nothing.

No, something was still there. The feeling of something, he can't get rid of it. What should he do?

As if answering his call, something 'indistinct' answered.

Not a voice, but more like a 'physical' response. It was like something was trying to speak to him, but subconsciously. Something that existed inside of him, but that could not be heard.

And yet, despite not having a voice, he knew perfectly what its message was:

 ** _(Run, you fool)_**

[—?!]

The boy was in a full sprint. He was running with everything he had.

He could feel It! "It" was behind him! Something was chasing him! It was closing in! It was right behind him! He could feel its presence with every fiber of his being!

He didn't want to see it. He wanted to keep his eyes shut. He didn't want to see the same path stretch further and further. He simply kept his eyes closed out of fear, and sprinted.

It was there! It was going to touch him! It was mere inches away! It was reaching out towards him! It's going to touch him!

And only one last feeling was surging through his body—

— ** _DEATH._**

 _ **BAM!**_

Issei suddenly tripped and tumbled over, falling onto his back.

….

He was looking up at the sky... It was no longer the same odd color from before, it just seemed like your average evening sky... It wasn't in any bizarre shape like a dome either, it was just his regular perception of a sky...

...And most of all, the "feeling" from before was gone…

He picked his upper body up to look around.

Issei was no longer in the park…. In fact, the park was behind him….. Somehow, it was almost 30 meters away, hardly even in sight... Had he really ran that far? But he was just in the park, wasn't he..?

That's right, he tripped over something. Issei looked down to whatever caused him to lose his footing.

—It was the corpse of a small dog.

"Ah!"

He couldn't help but squeal. After what he had been through he was already paranoid enough. Now, there was a dead puppy in front of him.

Upon closer inspection, it looked like the dog had been crushed by something.

"Oh.. You must've been run over, huh, wan-chan…."

Despite seeing the corpse of an animal, Issei had calmed down a bit. It must have given him a sense of reality after the surreal nightmarish feeling he was experiencing earlier.

He decided to forget about the previous event out of fear.

The poor dog lay there, lifeless. The death was most certainly instant. It must have been a truck. It looked like it had been crushed completely over its midsection. After all, nothing else could have done something like that.

Issei stood up straight, despite the subtle weakness in his legs.

Oh well, there was nothing he could do now. The poor thing was long gone. The best he could do was tell a neighbor. He was in the suburban area now after all.

Issei walked over to the nearest house, without a fence blocking it off, and decided to knock.

 _ **Knock, knock.**_

…..No response….

"Oh."

Well, maybe he should've rang the doorbell first.

 _ **Ding-Dong~**_

The cutesy doorbell rang, and Issei waited patiently for someone to answer the door.

That's odd. It seems a bit too easy to hear the doorbell from the other side of the door, doesn't it? It's not a loud doorbell, so for it to be heard clearly through the door was odd. That must mean the house is intensely quiet.

Not to mention, there was no answer. Could no one have been home? No, that can't be. All of the lights in the house were on. As a matter of fact… There we even light was peering through the door frame….

Issei pushed the door a bit...

 _ **Creak...**_

..The door was open…. He wasn't able to tell immediately because it was almost fully closed, but indeed, the door was left slightly open…

Another feeling of fear came over him…

He wanted to go home….. But, something else urged him forward…. It was like he was comprised of two clashing personalities…. One telling him this place was dangerous, the other telling him he needs to check inside…. Possibly because…. There was someone there..?

Was it his instincts telling him these things?

It certainly didn't sound like anyone was in the house. So, why does he feel like there is? And why does he feel like that same "thing" from earlier, was telling him 'don't go inside'?

….His better judgment would've been to listen to the feeling and back away. Walk home.

But…. If there was someone in there, then…..why does it feel like Issei shouldn't leave them in here either?

 _ **Creak...**_

Issei finally decided to open the door.

He didn't announce his presence. A wise decision, unbeknownst to him.

The lights were on just like he thought. The first thing he saw was the staircase leading up to the rooms, presumably. To his left, he saw a living room.

It was empty, but other than that, everything seemed relatively normal. The TV was left on, playing some random talk show.

 _ **Meow~**_

"..Oh!"

A cat scurried by Issei's legs, running out the door. Well, if the family is here, then he might as well apologize for letting their cat escape.

The next room was to his right. It was a kitchen—

"..Onii-chan?"

….A girl was standing there. She was standing near a kitchen table, staring at Issei.

She was a small girl, probably around 4 years old, with blue eyes, a brown haired bob cut, and wearing a large pink shirt that basically went down over her knees. But most of all—

— _She was drenched in blood._

 **[—?!]**

Issei approached the little girl without hesitation, despite his fear.

"..Onii-chan?"

The girl stared up blankly at him. Her eyes were empty and dull, like a dead fish. Her expression was blank and she didn't move, aside from her head. She had her arms hanging down loosely, with a rabbit plushie in her right hand.

But why was she covered in blood? There was nothing in the kitchen that indicated anything bad happened.

And what kind of thing could happen that could bathe her in this much blood—

 _ **Bom Bom Bom..**_

The sound of heavy footsteps... Coming from the left of Issei, where another door was leading into the back section of the house was... Meanwhile, the entrance which Issei came through was behind him.

For some reason, he had the feeling that he would need to get ready to run.

That reason was..

 _ **Creak.**_

"..Eh?"

A tall creature with an elongated body of black, leathery skin— No eyes and no mouth— ducked its head under the doorway it entered from. And in the grasp of its elongated, three-pronged claws - _was a severed woman's head._

 **[!?—?!]**

Issei grabbed the girl and ran outside of the house!

 _ **KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!**_

A blood curdling, ear piercing scream was let out from behind him. It was undoubtedly the monster's.

It screamed and yet it had no mouth!

 _ **BREAK!**_

The sound of glass breaking, originating from the house.

It's going to chase after them!

 _ **KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!**_

It's above them! It's running and jumping across rooftops! No matter where Issei takes a turn, it jumps to an adjacent rooftop and effectively catches up!

Only Issei's fear ridden mind ran faster than the monster itself.

 _'Run faster! Faster faster faster faster faster faster faster! FASTER!'_

Issei was running with all of his might, but along with the girl's weight, and his previous sprinting, he was already at a disadvantage. It's hard enough carrying another child, when you are a child yourself.

—No! That didn't matter! This monster was certainly faster either way!

A monster! A _real_ monster! Is this what was at the park?! Is that what was following Issei originally?! If that was the case, why didn't it get him right away?!

 _'No! Wait! If it's the one from the park..! Then I can outrun hi_ — _!'_

The moment that Issei's thoughts had become optimistic—

 _ **SLICE!**_

The monster had slashed his back open.

 _ **BAM!**_

Issei tumbled over, while still maintaining his grip on the girl that was latched to his chest. He rolled over multiple times, sliding against the hard ground to a stop, smearing a blood trail across the street.

As a result of the attack, Issei was left discombobulated.

...Where is he? He doesn't even know. It had to be some neighborhood near his house... It wasn't far from here.. Ah, that's right, wasn't he running from something..? Why does he have this girl with him?

 _ **KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!**_

 **[—?!]**

—The monster!

Issei sprung himself up and realized he was on sitting on the floor, with a searing pain and wetness on his back. His eyes darted everywhere around him.

 _'I can't see it! Where did_ — _?!'_

 _ **DON!**_

The monster suddenly landed on the ground ahead of Issei, cracking the floor beneath it. Slowly, it stood.

3 meters tall, and with an unnatural, elongated form. As if the creature was made from black skin and bone only. And slowly, it approached.

"..No!"

Issei tried to scurry back, but..

 _ **Clang!**_

He was met with the fence of another person's residence.

"S-SOMEBODY..! H-HEELP!"

Issei cried out in terror, hoping that someone would hear him.

Are there even any people around? Did this thing kill all of them? No, something like that couldn't be possible. Yet there was no one. Do they just not hear them? Do they not hear the monster's screams?

For all of that was happening, only one thing was certain.

— _No help was coming._

"S-S-Stay back!"

Issei mustered up the last of his courage and extended his left arm, hoping to halt the monster.

Of course, he knew that was futile. The monster only continued approaching slowly, while clicking its fingers and head in a disturbing manner.

"I-I S-S-S-SAID STAY BACK!"

Was this it? Was this how Issei was going to die? Without even saying goodbye to his parents? Or the pervy old man? Or Rin?

Is this how he was going to meet his grandfather?

..He didn't even get to save the girl..?

...

 _ **( No.)**_

—Something stirred within him.

 _'I don't want to d-die! Not here! Please! At least if I die here..! At least..! Not this girl..! Don't let her..!'_

As the monster approached, clicking its body, stepping closer and closer - something moved. From the inside of Issei, something moved...

 _ **Click click click.**_

 _'PLEASE! Just..! Just..!'_

In one instant, something inside of Issei..

"STAAAAAAY BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCKKKK!"

— _Awakened._

 _ **SHIIIIN!**_

 _ **KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

A green light blinded the monster and forced it away from the two children.

 _ **KIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeee!**_

The light was so bright and powerful, that it caused the monster to flee.

Its screams died down as the light did, and when Issei could finally see…

...There was nothing….

The monster was gone….

"...I did it…"

...

...

"I did it!"

Issei felt a modicum return to him after realizing the monster was gone.

 _'I don't know what I did, but I did it! It ran! I actually made it run away! I scared it off! Hahahahaha, yes!'_

"Ah... Hahaha… I did it.."

Issei laughed tiredly.

For some reason, he felt truly exhausted.

His childish body could not keep up with the extraneous physical activity he forced upon himself. Not to mention, he felt even more exhausted after he stopped screaming. And his left arm felt heavy for some reason…

Issei looked down to his left arm in curiosity.

"...Eh?"

It was encased within a red gauntlet…

"...Eh?... What is…?"

Issei lifted the gauntlet. The green jewel set in the middle of it reflected the moonlight. The entire gauntlet glistened against the nights sky...

 _'This… What is this?.. Is this why that thing was chasing me? But then why did it run? And what was that monster..?'_

 _ **[That beast was known as a "Nightwalker". They stalked the woods in northern Europe during the middle ages. They happen to be quite cowardly when properly threatened. Though, regular humans will most usually fall prey to them very easily.]**_

.

.

.

.

.

 **[—?!]**

"Wha—?!"

Issei immediately whipped his head in every direction, hoping to find the voice that spoke to him.

[Do not search for me. You will not find me.]

(—?!)

Issei felt chills run down his spine.

 _'Another monster?!'_

[If you wish to "see me", then look to the device located on your left arm.]

Issei hesitantly looked down at the gauntlet….

[As I said, you will not see me. I reside within you. This is merely the greatest representation of my current self. In other words, I am part of you.]

(—!)

"You... You're..inside of me..? I'm...possessed?"

[No, I am not "possessing" you. Your body is your own. I have no control over your thoughts, nor your actions. I am no more than voice in your head. My spirit is sealed within your gear. Foolish boy.]

"G-Gear..?"

[—"Sacred Gear". Devices created by the Biblical God. This device is known as the "Boosted Gear". One of the 13 Longinus: god-slaying weapons. A Mid-tier Longinus, to be precise. As it is now, however, it will not display much potential. The fact that you were even able to unlock it through sheer will is remarkable on its own. Especially considering your age. Unfortunately, it does not seem like you are capable of activating its power yet. If you did, then you would surely collapse. Whether you would survive it or not is uncertain as well. Be grateful that the beast had fled when it did.]

"..I…..D..."

Issei had no words. If anything, he had no thoughts either. Hardly anything the voice said was properly processed within his young mind.

[It seems I was the foolish one to believe that I would be able to have you comprehend such foreign concepts. Forget about what I've said for now. That can be discussed later. More importantly, you must find somewhere safe to hide.]

The voice's words struck fear in Issei.

"What?! Is it another monster?!"

[Quiet, boy. Do not speak. You may communicate with me through thoughts alone. You needn't announce yourself to anything else.]

 _'Eh? I can think to you? Oh..! Okay! What's the problem then_ — _um..'_

[I am the 'Welsh Dragon Emperor', "Ddraig". So you may address me as such when needed.]

 _'Oh..! Okay! Um... D-Ddraig...? What is the problem now?'_

[Well, as of currently, there is no immediate threat within about 25 meters of you. The problem lies outside of that radius.]

 _'Um... Okay. How far is that?'_

[Unimportant. The main issue is what, not where.]

 _'Oh, okay... Then, "what" is it?'_

[Many things. Magical beasts of different variety, measuring in completely different levels of strength. The one you had faced was a pure weakling. Much of its power outside of physical capability was not threatening. Had those people not been measly humans they may have survived their encounter.]

(—!)

Issei was suddenly reminded of the girl in his arms. She was unconscious. Maybe during the roll, or the initial mayhem, she ended up passing out. What was he supposed to do with her?

[Focus, my young partner. We have greater issues. If you do not find somewhere safe soon, then you will surely perish. There are many looming threats far greater than the measly Nightwalker. They are all moving in separate directions, randomly. They are most likely like-minded beasts with no true direction, wreaking havoc across this village you reside in. Tell me, boy. Is this a capital?]

 _'Uh... I don't know. This place is called Kuoh. It's my town.'_

[I see. I cannot fully grasp the size of your town because you are too weak. Our connection isn't very strong at all yet. There is a limited range that I have with this body of yours. And even now, it is taking most, if not all, of my focus in order to create a "radius" for the purpose of keeping you aware. If our connection was stronger, or if your body was, then I would do more. But for now, this is the extent of it. So the greatest estimation I can make about how many "beasts" are located in your town is limited.]

 _'So… How many do you think there are?..'_

[Hmm.. I cannot give you a proper estimate, but the unsettling truth is: **You are surrounded**.]

 _ **CHILLS..!**_

Issei's throat felt unbelievably dry. He couldn't even begin to imagine what else could be out there, even more dangerous than the "Nightwalker". He needed to find somewhere safe. He needed to go hom—

[—?!]

"OKAA-SAN! OTOU-SAN!"

Issei unconsciously shouted.

His parents! That's right! Issei was so distracted by thoughts of self preservation that he'd forgotten about his mother and father!

[Your family? That is troublesome. If you truly care for them, then I believe this is more of a disadvantageous situation than I had thought before. They are normal humans?]

 _'Yes! They don't do anything crazy, or have anything like this! ..I think…'_

[Hmm. I also do not believe that they possess any abnormal qualities. If they had, then at the very least, the mere exposure of it would stir me in my sleep, even if just a bit. I experienced no such thing.]

 _'Oh no! I need to get to them now!'_

[I would not suggest that, partner. As it is now, I do not know the location of your home, as I have never experienced being aware in that specific location, nor do I recognize the presence of your family. Therefore, I cannot find them. You would be wandering aimlessly.]

 _'Just..! Can you find people?'_

[Yes, I do believe so.]

 _'Then just find two people who are alone together.'_

[Nicely thought for a child. Very well. I will try.]

Issei waited anxiously while Ddraig initiated a search.

[..There are multiple.]

 _'Where?'_

[There are 3 directly west of you. Then there are another 2, directly east. West is behind you, East is ahead of you.]

 _'..So, east? That's...this way!'_

Issei looked ahead of himself.

Indeed, that did seem like the direction of the house. So he can only assume they haven't moved yet. Even though he lost his way, he should know his way back if he reaches a certain street.

[Ah, it seems one of them disappeared.]

"..?!"

[Within the group of 3, directly west of you. One member of that group that I had detected seems to have vanished. They must have perished.]

 _ **CHILLS…**_

—Death.

That's right. People are dying. Just like this random girl's family. People are dying and there was nothing anyone could do…. Nothing Issei could do..?

 _'..D-Ddraig? You said this "thing"... This, um, "gear", does things right? ..Can I use it to k-kill those monsters?_ '

[Impossible. As you currently are, you will die in an instant.]

(—?!)

….Nothing.

...Issei could do nothing.

 _'Why?... Why is this happening to us, Ddraig?... Why…_ '

[I do not have the answer to that, partner. I have never witnessed such an event either. It is odd for such an ensemble of powerful beasts to be in such close vicinity to each other. Their auras differ in magnitude and compatibility. Most of them feel as if they belong in different parts of the world. Something like this is not a spontaneous event.]

 _'Spon... What do you mean, Ddraig?'_

[It means: **This was intentional**.]

 _'..?! Intentional…? Doesn't that word mean "on purpose"?...'_

[Yes. There is likely no other possibility. You are in the human world, with the wrong beasts in the wrong areas, all placed closely together. This does not occur naturally.]

 _'...Who could've done something like..?'_

—The image of the random girl's decapitated mother flashed through his mind. It was quickly replaced - _\- with his mother's own._

 _'I have to go! I have to find Mum and Dad!'_

[Partner, I cannot guarantee that when you locate your family, they will be safe. I cannot focus all of my attention on keeping them in view. My first priority is to make sure you survive. The greatest advice I can provide is to tell you to hide yourself. If you cannot do that, then I will prioritize masking your presence, at the very least to the point where no beast will find you. And that will require practically all of my attention. I may not even be able to warn you when they do indeed get close.]

 _'I don't care! I have to find Mum and Dad!_

[Very well. I will not be able to communicate with you as frequently or easily. You will need to be the one who initiates contact with me. Be sure to keep aware of your surroundings. I will not be the one to warn you of any incoming threats. Listen well to your surroundings, and look everywhere you plan to step. Move from shadow to shadow. Avoid open areas. Most of all, do not speak aloud. You musn't make any unnecessary noise, especially if you encounter any beasts along the way. Hold your breath and don't make any sudden movements.]

 _'That's a lot... But, okay! Here we go!'_

Issei stood up and was ready to dash towards the direction of his house with the unconscious girl in his arms.

[A fundamental issue still remains, partner.]

 _'What is it?'_

[The girl. I cannot mask her presence in any possible way. She is not optimal for your survival.]

"..?!"

Issei realized it with Ddraig's words.

That's right. The girl was still here with him. She's still unconscious and she is heavier than Issei realized. He wasn't focused on anything besides escaping so he had forgotten that he was running with another person in his arms. She is heavy. How was he even holding her before, let alone running with her?

 _'Oh no. What do I do, Ddraig?'_

[The best choice would be to _cast her aside_.]

 _'...Eh?'_

[It would be wise to abandon her.]

 _'...Y…..You want me to...leave her?'_

[It is the wisest choice you have, considering your options.]

…..

Issei ran, while maintaining his hold of the girl. He acted as if he hadn't even heard Ddraig's suggestion.

He stuck to the shadows and tried his best to stay quiet.

He took many different turns, preferring to cut through different adjacent pathways and only crossing streets when necessary.

—Issei's body felt absurdly heavy. His legs hurt, his back hurt, his arms hurt. Even his head hurt, thanks to the throbbing caused by his blood pumping.

 _'I want to go home. I want this to be a dream. I want to wake up. I want to go home.'_

Issei continued running. He quickly crossed another familiar street—

 _ **MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNN…**_

Issei's body froze…

 _'...Eh?...'_

There was a sound. A vibration. A rumbling.

 _A grumbling._

 _ **MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNN…**_

A deep rumbling that resembled a bellow….. Like the snarl of a beast…

 _'...Ddraig…. Where is that coming from?..'_

[Yes, I hear you child, what is it— Retreat, now!]

— _Too late._

 _ **Splllllgg….**_

The disgusting sound of something like moist skin... Something wet, like a squishing sound… But it was large. And it originated from directly to his right…. Morbid curiosity forced his head to creak slowly to his right…..

He was met with...

 _ **Spllgg...**_

 _A giant, glowing red eye._

[Flee, you fool!]

 **[—?!]**

Issei bolted without hesitation.

 _'Another one! It's another monster! Again! Not again! It's big..! Too big! Bigger than a house! Huge!_ — _It moved! Its eye opened! It looked at me! It saw me! It had white skin! But I couldn't see its body! It was too big! Too close!_ — _Run! I have to run!'_

Once again, Issei was sprinting more than he ever had in his entire life. It felt like his legs would give out at any moment. Only his sheer will was keeping his body moving.

"Hah! Hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

[That's far enough, boy. That beast will not follow. You are no longer facing the east. You are heading north. Many of the lower beasts are gathered in that direction. Do not proceed.]

 _ **Skid!**_

Issei forcefully halted himself. He attempted to catch his breath, but he could only wheeze painfully and violently.

"Haaaah!…. Haaaaah!... Haah!..."

 _'It hurts! It hurts a lot! It feels like my chest and head are being crushed!_ — _Help! Somebody, please help! It hurts! Mum! Dad! I'm dizzy! I can't breathe! I wanna go home!'_

[Calm yourself, partner. Your current position is not the most disadvantageous to us. There are no beasts in your immediate area. Nothing has found you, aside from the " _White Whale_ " you encountered. But it will not follow you. Its body is much too large for it to waste its energy searching for something as insignificant as you, and I am already masking your presence. As long as your power does not spike, it will not sense you.]

 _'...What happens if it notices us?...'_

[It will erase you from existence.]

….

How many times can one avoid death in such a certain amount of time, at such a young age, Issei wondered..

 _'...? ... Actually….. Aren't I….kind of amazing?...'_

Issei wanted to praise himself for a moment, but there was no levity for him to indulge in just yet.

 _ **CHILLS!**_

—A sudden feeling of the world crashing down on Issei's body.

 _'..?! Wha_ — _?! Ddraig! What is..! What is that?! This feeling is..!'_

[Above you..!]

Issei looked up, and what appeared in the sky was..

 _ **Shiin!**_

Lights. An overabundance of lights in the shape of something.

 _ **Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shin Shiiin!**_

They were circles. An seemingly endless amount of circles from Issei's perspective. All with different colors. And bizarre designs with unrecognizable symbols. They reminded Issei of symbols that a wizard hero would use in video games.

And from those circles of light, something began to emerge from each of them.

 _'..People! There are people coming out from them! They're floating! They_ —! _'_

[—Hide, partner.]

 _'..?! W-What?! Hide!? W-Where?!'_

[Anywhere, just hide. I will mask your presence.]

 _'W-What about the girl?!'_

[I cannot hide or protect her, and neither can you. Your survival is only guaranteed if you cast her aside. If not, then hide yourself and simply hope they do not find you.]

 _'I-I don't..!'_

Issei whipped his head around, frantically searching for a hiding spot.

He found some nearby shrubbery and hopped straight into it. He didn't consider abandoning the girl even for a second before hiding.

His breathing was heavy and ragged, which didn't move well for stealth. Fear began to pulse ever stronger within him.

—He could _feel_ them. Now, of all times, he began to 'feel' the presence of various beings that surrounded the area. Not only could he finally feel all of the monstrous beings that surrounded him, but even more than that, he could feel the people. He could feel those floating people, emerging from the sky. Many of the floating people began descending quickly, flying off in different directions.

Most of all, he could tell they were likely heading in the direction of the various beasts scattered throughout Kuoh. Like a fleet, or a legion, they were in groups, flying towards different directions, hunting different monsters, presumably.

Issei also noticed that the largest group was sent in the direction Issei was just previously in. They were headed towards the giant, white one…

—A dark, incomprehensible feeling overcame Issei like a blanket. It was unlike any feeling he experienced before... Anger, or..?

 _'..Are...these the people who did this?...'_

[Control yourself, partner. You may indeed be a child, but regardless of that, the Boosted Gear has just been unlocked at near full capacity. You will release pressure in response to strong emotions. Whether or not your body will maintain itself is the issue. I do not believe it will. That's why, you must stop.]

 _'...Ddraig?... Who are these people?... Why do they fly?... Why do they have wings?... What…are they?...'_

Issei questioned Ddraig worriedly. The response he recieved was one of slight disgust.

[— ** _Devils_**.]

….

There was once a time when Issei's best friend, Rin, had warned him of such existences. Something called "Devils". Those beings who "take the souls of innocents". Those who insulted the name of "The Lord". Those who "wreak havoc" and "disgrace the holy teachings"….

These were those same beings? They were real?

[Devils. What meddlesome existences. Our situation is truly a disadvantageous one indeed.]

Issei looked around the sky. Most of the "Devils" that had populated it were now no longer in sight. They must have scattered and went to the monsters. —No. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that he knew they were all around him, just like the beasts. Not to mention…

 _'Ddraig…. Those ones in the sky….. Those are….'_

[Your assumption is correct. Those four figures that you see are indeed the most powerful amongst them. They seem to be surveying the landscape and providing intelligence, or relaying commands. I'm certain even a child like yourself can feel the pressure they emit, even from this distance. Amongst Devils, they are monsters.]

 _'...What happens if one of those finds me?...'_

[You would perish within an instant. No resistance you could manage would reach them, even in your dreams. I daresay there are a few amongst that group that would have relatively no trouble dealing with that large beast you encountered before.]

(—!?)

 _'...I can't handle this, Ddraig...'_

[You will die, should you refuse to. And so will your family.]

 _ **MAAAAAAAAAAWW!**_

A loud roar interrupted the communication between the two. It was close. Ahead of Issei, a few shadows appeared above the rooftops of certain houses.

 _ **ZIN!**_

The sound of something being pierced, followed by a painful howl.

 _ **MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!**_

Then, suddenly, the large body of a beast crashed in the street in front of him.

 _'..?! Wha—?! It's dead! What did—! What is that thing even?!'_

[A manticore... They are approaching. Do not move.]

Issei placed a hand sternly over his mouth in order to silence himself. Multiple figures landed near the corpse of the beast that struck the ground. Three figures, to be exact.

It's them, the Devils.

The trio stood around the corpse and began speaking to each other.

"How many have they identified?"

"Unknown. As it currently stands, they have only been able to spot around 50+ [ _Magical Beasts_ ] in total. They seem to be evenly spread throughout the entire town."

"Dammit! This is chaos! How could this have happened?.. I've never heard of such an event taking place! How is it possible that someone could transport this many magical beasts of this calibre?! Even the [ _White Whale_ ] is present! This is madness! Had it not been for the [ _Maou-sama_ ] sealing this place off from the rest of the world, surely some catastrophic incident on a far larger scale would have taken place!"

Issei was confused by all of the unrecognizable terms and vocabulary that the "Devils" were using.

 _'..What?.. What are they talking about? They killed he monster and now they are sounding...worried? Did…they not do all of this?...'_

While Issei was lost in his thoughts, the Devils continued their conversation.

"Indeed. What haunts me is the fact that if there was a being with the capability to transport such beasts, then why would they limit themselves to only a place like this? Why attack such an unpopulated area? Why not attack the underworld with this power? What sort of motive would drive them to bring the beasts only here?"

"Perhaps their range was limited?"

"That would be an illogical conclusion. They have the capability to transport an S-Class Beast such as the [White Whale]. Not to mention, the other SS-Class just south of us, the one that _distorts time and_ _space_. Its _spectral_ _dome is practically inescapabale,_ but outside of that, its not as hard to contain as the Whale."

 _'..Is that thing they're talking about... Was that the monster that trapped me in the park?'_

"Nevertheless, they aren't concerned with range. They must have an objective that lies within this place."

"A place of humans?"

"Yes. For an ideological objective."

"An ideological attack..?"

"Do not forget: the current [ _Lord of the Gremory Clan_ ] was present for secret business before we arrived. It might involve that family."

"..!"

"It is as he says! Indeed [ _Lucifer-sama_ ] had mention of his father visiting this place offhandedly, when he was speaking with another Maou-sama! ..Could this be an attack from a separate faction? A declaration of war?"

"Not likely. It seems the subordinates of [ _Mephisto-sama_ ] have already identified the magic that brought the beasts here was uniquely demonic in nature... This could be the act of a traitor."

"What?! A traitor, you say!? What sort of traitor would be capable of accomplishing such a feat?!"

"Not one. There has to be more. It would not be possible for one being alone. This is a group, not an individual."

"A possible attack on Lord Gremory's life by traitors…? Is it possibly the actions of a revived [ _Old-Satan faction_ ]...?"

"Impossible! That faction is no more. An event like this is too chaotic to be considered a mere _Civil strife_! This mayhem was constructed for the purpose of sending a message! No other reasons could be attributed to the arbitrary killing of _100+_ humans! For what reason?! It was ordered that the humans were no longer a target, by all sides! If this was the will of those in the deceased Satan faction, then for what reason did they transport so many dangerous beasts in areas not inhabited by anything but humans?! Why not only send the [White Whale] to the location of the Gremory household?! Why not bring it to the territories of the Underworld?! Is their only target the Gremory?! This attack must be symbolic! It's ideological in nature! But what message could they be trying to send?"

"Hmm... As I recall, the Lord of Gremory was also accompanied by his next heir to the Household... This territory is to be a gift from him to his daughter... Perhaps it involves that."

"But then why attack here?! Why not attack their home?! Were the Lord of Gremory and his daughter the prime targets?"

"No, no, wait... Think about it... If their target was really just Gremory, then they would have attacked the estate... But since they're really aiming for the Maou-sama, in an idealogical sense, what would be the best thing to attack? [ _Sirzechs-sama_ ] cares for his family, but there is one person who he values above all else."

"..?! As I thought, this is symbolic! This attack is a message! It's an announcement! Someone is announcing their presence! They're saying: "We're here, Maou-sama", while aiming at the most important person to the strongest Maou..! It's likely the faction of the deceased old Satan, but perhaps a new version of it! Maybe a new group entirely dedicated to a similar cause, even!"

"But that leaves the question: what sort of group would adhere to senseless destruction that did not assist in their goals towards Gremory and Maou? As you said before, wouldn't simply make more sense to attack the estate, when the Gremory heir is still present there. Why wait until they come here to attack them, causing uninvolved innocents to die? It just seems so...chaotic.."

"..I do not know either... Something is still missing. I myself do not understand yet why they did not attack Gremory head on... Moreover, who would even be able to bring these beasts here?"

"[ _Demonic Power_ ] was detected amongst the lower level beasts. However, none of it has been detected on those of great ability such as the Whale….. Which means the weaker ones were sent here by Devils and the rest... They could be the result of a Sacred Gear…"

"A Sacred Gear?! Humans working with Devils is..! Could they be trying to hide the fact that they are Devils..?"

"No... If that was the case, it would be more logical to just have the Sacred Gear user transport all of the beasts instead of just a few... This looks to be intentional. As if to mock us by saying: 'this is what our human ally can do'. Either that, or they're using reincarnated slaves."

"..But, a Sacred Gear capable of transporting almost Ultimate-Class beasts across different spaces, to and from the Underworld, in the possession of traitors….? What sort of catastrophe are we witnessing unfold..?"

"..What sort of enemy are we faced with?"

"That is not something we need to concern ourselves with. That can be discussed by [ _Beelzebub-sama_ ] and his colleagues. We have already wasted enough time talking. Our first priority is to provide enough support to seal or capture the Whale, and any other high level beasts are also included."

"Ah, I'm afraid I must depart. My objective was to assist in maintaining a perimeter in which there resided no beasts. Those associates of the [ _Sitri organizations_ ] are currently attending to any humans who are wounded. They are also rescuing those currently in danger. Once they have contained them within a certain area together, they will erase their memories and create the false narrative of a natural disaster. It should be accepted, considering the destruction and lack of connection with the outside world, as of currently. Indeed, if this were an attack on a highly populated capital, then the situation would be nearly impossible to cover up."

"I see. Good luck then."

"You two as well."

The Devils ended their conversation, seemingly as they were about to depart.

 _'Are they leaving?'_

 _ **Shiin!**_

But right before they left, Issei's gauntlet suddenly shined and even seemed to release some energy. And the Devils took notice of it.

"..?! Did you feel that?!"

"Yes.. Behind us."

 _'..?! Wha_ — _?! They found us! What just_ — _!'_

[Partner, drop the girl.]

 _'What?!'_

[I revealed ourselves to them. I will not risk your life by allowing you to protect this girl any longer. Separate yourself from her. Just do as I say. They will not hurt her. Separate yourself and hide. Trust me.]

 _'Wha-?! D-?!'_

"It must be coming from there."

"Yes…. That feeling…. It couldn't be a beast..?"

 _'They're getting closer to us?!'_

[Do as I say, boy.]

Issei closed his eyes in frustration, while the Devils approached him cautiously. The closer and closer they got, the more his fear heightened.

"This presence... A human?"

 _'Dammit!'_

Issei finally released the girl and moved further down into the foilage, causing it to rustle.

 _ **Rustle!**_

"Wha—?! Who goes there?! Are you hurt?! Don't be afraid!"

[Don't answer. Be quiet. Hold your breath.]

Issei kept his eyes shut, curled himself into a ball, and covered his mouth. He could only distance himself a meter away from the unconscious girl. Had he moved any further, they would have noticed the distance between her body and the rustle.

 _ **Rustle..**_

One of the Devils finally approached and separated the shrubbery, revealing the child.

"I see..! It was a human after all."

The Devil pulled the girl out from the shrubs and held her in his arms.

"She is alive, but unconscious. She must have hidden here and passed out. But that energy…. Could she possibly possess a Sacred Gear?"

 _'They….can't sense me…?'_

Issei breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Nevertheless, I shall take her to the Sitri's associates. Remain vigilant, you two."

"Very well."

"Good luck."

 _ **Foom!**_

The three men— No, Devils, extended black leathery wings and flew off. One in a separate direction from the other two.

'What is going on?...I didn't understand any of it….is this their fault or not?...Why is this happening to us?...'

[Do not concern yourself with that now, partner. If you wish to find your family, now is the greatest time. Though, I still do not recommend it. This "perimeter" that the Devils have created may not stretch as far as your home. That place may now be infested with other beasts. At the very least, I can say that it is not as clouded by beasts as the North is, but I suspect it is still the second worst place to be.]

 _ **Rustle!**_

Issei immediately jumped out from the shrubs and ran towards where his house should be, not caring for Ddraig's warning.

 _'Mum! Dad! Please be okay! I'm coming home, so please be okay! Please!'_

—His body felt heavy. Heavier than ever before. He couldn't believe the physical stress he was under. His entire body was on the verge of collapse. Pure will was what was moving him.

His sides hurt. He was hungry. He was exhausted, mentally and physically. He was hardly aware of anything around him anymore.

This really did feel like a dream. It was surreal. It didn't feel real in the slightest. But that's okay. When he saw his parents, it would all be alright. He would wake up when he saw them. They would have breakfast and his mother would comfort him after his bad dream. He knows it.

He would apologize for everything he's done. He would be the greatest son ever. He would make his parents proud. No more perverted stuff from the old man. No more pranks against his aunts and uncles. No more being sad about Rin. No more difficulty making friends. No more troublemaking.

He'll take that martial arts class his dad wanted him to take. He'll ask his mum to color coloring books together with him like when he was a toddler. He'll kiss him mum every morning. He'll hug his dad everyday. He'll never ask for anything he doesn't need. He'll never cause problems for his parents ever again.

He'll do all of that, and more. That's why..

….

 _'That's why, please be okay!'_

 _ **Slip!**_

"Ah!"

Out of nowhere, Issei slipped and lost his balance. He landed flat on his back.

 ** _Thud!_**

"Rrgh…"

He groaned in pain. If he wasn't already in pain from the physical stress, then he was hurting now.

And his back was wet..

 _'What..?'_

A liquid. A thick, almost "sticky" liquid. It smells.

Issei lifted his hand. He couldn't see the color of the liquid because he was currently lying in the shadow of a house; the moonlight couldn't reach him from his position. He put his hand up to his nose and tried smelling the liquid.

...Copper? A familiar "copper-y" smell.

Issei lifted his upper body up with a small groan. He could feel the thick liquid seep into the back of his shirt and shorts. It was on the back of his legs too. It was in his hair. All over his back. It felt gross.

Once again, he decided to put the liquid up to his nose. It does smell familiar.

 _'Doesn't this smell like…..that girl I saved_ — _'_

 _ **Crack!**_

The sound of something cracking. A different sound to the cracking of wood. It sounded more like..

 _..Bones?_

 _ **Crack!**_

—Issei slowly turned his head to the right, opposite of the house that was blocking the moonlight to the left of him.

He caught sight of a tree. There were little monkey-like creatures sitting on one of the branches. One of them was eating something small, like a grape. The branch they were sitting on had vines hanging from it too.

 _ **Drip..**_

But…the vines were dripping wet.

In fact, they seemed more like rope than vines…. They were bumpy and thick…. And they're torn at the ends…

The liquid dripping from the rope…. Issei followed it to the ground. A thin streak of moonlight gave the tiniest bit visibility to the things on the ground, including the liquid that surrounded them….

 _Human torsos and blood._

"..Ah."

The thing that was below the tree, and Issei's body, was blood.

 _The rope was human intestines._

One of the little monkeys holding a grape, took a bite out of it.

 _ **Crunch!**_

— _It was a human eyeball._

"BLERGH!"

Issei violently vomited onto the ground. The vomit mixed with the blood pool on the ground below him, only disgusting him further. He hadn't eaten in maybe 8 hours and didn't make it to lunch. And now, he threw up his breakfast, the only thing left in his stomach.

"Haah…! Hah..! Hah.."

He was wheezing painfully. His dry throat now burned, and his stomach was empty. He didn't get a good look at the deceased mother of the unconscious girl…. But now, he didn't need to…. He was able to get his fill of death properly.

[Partner, distance yourself from those beasts. They are small, but as a normal human, they are still a threat. They travel in groups for a reason. They are feasting now, so they should ignore you.]

Ddraig's words repeated in his head.

[ _ **Feasting**._]

"Mmm—!"

Issei placed a hand over his mouth, as if to instinctively prevent something from escaping it. He felt the urge to regurgitate again. Probably nothing would come out, just some saliva and mucus, maybe.

[Now, partner. Let's go.]

Issei stood up unsteadily. His knees almost buckled under his weight. Whether that was because he felt weak or his body felt heavy, he didn't know. He didn't care either.

All he felt, aside from physical stress, was fear and despair.

The sight of the dead only reminded him of the possibility of his parents no longer being alive.

 _'No! I'm home! I'm almost there! Just one more minute! I'm right here!'_

He was right. He was just a street down. He was practically limping at this point, but he could make it. He turned the corner...

 _'There! There it is!'_

He could see it. His house was down there, on the right side of the street. He could see it a few houses down.

He was almost there. Issei was almost home.

 _'I'm home! I'm home! I made it! Mum! Dad! I'm here! I made it! I'll never make you mad again! I'll be the best son in the world! I'll always make you happy! I promise! So please! Please!'_

 _ **Rrr!**_

He threw the small fence of his house open and limped as quickly as he could, towards the front door. It was closed. Nothing was broken. Everything seemed intact. In fact, it looked like the entire neighborhood was alright.

 _'It's okay! They're okay! Mum! Dad!'_

 _ **Dakun!**_

He slammed the door open.

"Okaa-san! Otou-san!"

…..

The house was empty.

He looked around. —Nothing was out of place. The TV was off unlike the other house. The lights were off. He didn't smell anything rancid.

"Okaa-san! Otou-san! It's okay! You don't have to hide anymore! I'm okay! There's no monsters around! Are you in a closet?! Are you upstairs?! It's okay! It's the real me!"

He ran upstairs and frantically searched the rooms. His room was empty, nothing in his closet. He went across to his parents room. This was the most logical place to be. Their closet would be the obvious choice. He approached it and slid the door open.

"Okaa-san! Otou-san!"

 _ **Slide!**_

….Nothing….

...

...

 _'They were saved!'_

That's right. The Devils had been "saving" people. They most likely already have been extracted. Issei breathed a sigh of relief. It looks like he'll have to rest in the house by himself then.

 _ **Bom Bom Bom Bom..**_

Issei slowly descended down the stairs.

He was so unbelievably tired. Maybe he should eat something? His parents might be mad at him when they see him. Actually, the Devils said they'll have no memories, so they'll just think that something like an earthquake happened and he was away during it. They'll probably cry a lot too. Or at least, his mum will. His dad wasn't always the most expressive type.

Ah, that's right. The play area. He didn't check there.

In the back of Issei's house, there was a play room. It's a room he played in when he was little. He kept all of his toys there. Nowadays, he plays games and watches TV in the living room. So now, that area is just a room that leads to their backyard and has all his old toys. It's past the kitchen.

"Aaaaah…. I'm hungry…"

Issei stepped into the kitchen and saw some food made. It must've been lunch. He just threw up so he'll just eat something light, like the rice.

 _ **Clang..**_

After deciding to serve himself some, he sat down at the table and ate it quietly.

He could see a bit of the play area from the kitchen. Or at least part of it. With everything that's happened, he has thought a lot about his short life. So he was feeling randomly nostalgic.

Before he knew it, he had finished the rice within minutes. That was enough for now.

"I gotta get going.. I have to see where they took Mum and Dad. At least I'll stay in the safe area those Devils set up. Maybe even I'll be able to save some people…... Actually…. Maybe I'll just sleep in the living room…. Everything hurts…"

 _ **Bom Bom Bom..**_

Issei made his way to the playroom out of nostalgic curiosity. He could see his old box of toys sitting at the corner of the room. He couldn't see the middle of the room from his angle though. Not until he turned the corner, at leas—

"—Ah."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Aaaah…"

.

.

.

.

"Aaaah…. Aah…."

.

.

.

.

.

 _The only thing visible, in the middle of the room, was a pond of blood with a severed human hand resting in the middle of it._

.

.

.

.

"Aaaah….. Aaaah….. Ah…"

.

.

.

.

 _Issei groaned robotically, before he fell to his knees._

.

.

.

.

.

"Aaah…. Aaah...? Aaaaaaah..."

.

.

.

.

.

 _The hand was inherently feminine. Soft light skin._

.

.

.

— _And wearing a wedding ring on its finger._

 _._

 _._

 _ **"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"**_

* * *

The household known as the Hyoudou family—was no more.

* * *

 ** _[Report: Large earthquake reported in southern Japan. Areas most affected were Nagoya and Kyoto. Kyoto was relatively undamaged. Nagoya had minor damages. A small town known as Kuoh, located near the outskirts of Nagoya, was the most affected area. 112 reported casualties. 108 dead, 4 injured. A major tragedy.]_**

* * *

 **End**

 **Woooh! That's the first one out! Was NOT expecting this first chapter to be this long. But I just couldn't resist. For some reason more and more came to my mind as I was writing. That's passion for you. Man I love starting new stories. It's always like that. Anyway, as I said before this story is a challenge/inspiration fic. Although saying that feel like a lie because literally everything that happened here was my original plot. So the closest thing to inspiration is the fact that Issei's parents die in both this story and my friend JCs story. Other than that there's like NO similarities. And there's absolutely nothing left from that guys challenge either. This is nothing like it.**

 **Anyway, tell me what you guys think and what you think is gonna happen next. I want to hear all your thoughts about this story. So go ahead and let 'er rip.**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**


	2. Chapter 2: Family

**Hey Guys! Next one! Rolling em out pretty easy. This is what happens when you make a new story you're interested in. It always gets my mind bubbling with ideas. That's why I always say, if you ever experience writers block for one of your stories, do NOT just take a break and wait till you get your muse back. Only an inconsiderate bum of an author would do that. No offense to any authors who have done that. That's just how I would feel about myself if I did that. Everyone's different. Regardless, my advice is: 1) read or watch something interesting that could spark your creative conscious. I usually watch something like Hunter X Hunter 2011 since it's a masterfully written series that gets my mind going. 2) write something else. This is why I have multiple stories. Sometimes writing something else will cause you to bring out ideas which will only work for the thing you are writing currently. But at least even if those ideas don't work for another story, it could inspire something more. That's basically what I think is the best choice. After all, I'm writing this around 15 hours after I uploaded the first chapter.**

 **Last thing…..I have to ask…..um as I said last chapter….The second challenge fic was a lemon fic….so I kind of want some advice….because apparently descriptive sexual interaction isn't technically allowed? The M rating does not constitute descriptive sexual content, that's the MA rating and that doesn't even exist it's just for reference. So how come so many stories actually just get away with it? Is that rule actually just not enforced properly? Cuz I've seen too many very descriptive lemons on this site. So what's up with that? Just asking because I very much plan on writing this story….some of you might be asking why…..well the person who challenged me- is a fuck. He's a friend of mine who challenged my pride as a writer and for that reason I WILL prove him wrong. Let it be known I am a truly petty person. Just because it's the most shocking premise for a lemon I've seen within this community, does not mean I will fucking back down you shit. I know you're reading this.**

 **Also, "Why did Issei save that little girl?" because he's a good person. That is his base character. And it's the best way to illustrate the contrast between pre-tragedy Ise and Post-tragedy Ise.**

 **Anyway, this chapter will be full of dialogue and character development so sorry to any of you action junkies, deal with it for now. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **-Scene-**

 ** _[Thank you, Hashima-san. I am currently reporting from Kuoh in Nagoya, one of the most affected areas in terms of destruction regarding yesterday's earthquake. There were many recorded casualties and an abnormal amount of destruction in certain areas, while other areas seemed intact. This of course, has been attributed to the geographical structure of the town itself. A minor landslide also followed the aftershock though it did not cause any casualties. As of now, considering that the damage is minimal compared to the natural disasters of the past, only one disaster center has been attending to those grossly affected by the earthquake. Those who have lost their homes are temporarily being housed by relatives or by willing participants as per the legislation in Kuoh creating such a policy over 50 years ago. Many seismologists have been confused as to why the quake seemingly reacted within a certain radius only in southern Japan. Areas like Nagoya, Kyoto, and Nagano are the only areas that experienced the shakes while Kuoh specifically is the only city or town that received damage. Whether or not that is a point of concern is still being debated. Moreover, there is a certain amount of funding-]_**

"Ah, mou. That's enough already... I don't want to hear it..."

 _ **Click**_.

The news report, broadcasted on the Television, had itself switched to another broadcast. The one who changed the channel was a woman in her very early thirties. She was sitting on the floor, in a kotatsu, with a little short-pig tailed girl in her lap.

The one asking her to turn off the program was a man in disheveled business clothing: unbuttoned white shirt, loose tie, and black messy hair. He laid his head in one of his palms as he rubbed his face from under his glasses. He was visibly distressed.

"Were you allowed bereavement leave, honey?..."

The man's wife asked him sympathetically, as to not cause him any further distress. He answered halfheartedly.

"Yes…. I was allowed 3 days….. They were quite understanding..."

"...I see."

These 3 residents were the Aikawa family.

The Father's name is Aikawa, Satoshi. The mother's name is Aikawa, Akane. The 3 year old toddler eating cookies in Akane's lap, is named Aikawa, Maki.

A small 3 person family. Reminiscent of another familiar one. The only difference being their o nky child, which was a girl rather than a boy.

That, and this family was still together...

"Mama, I want taaki."

The toddler, Maki, looked up cutely at her mother and asked for her favorite food, Takoyaki, but mispronouncing it due to her young age.

"Yes, my dear…."

The atmosphere was heavy. The only one who didn't understand it was the poor child. The reason was obvious.

— _Satoshi is the first cousin of the Father, Hyoudou._

Early morning, Satoshi was sent to work as usual. However, no more than 2 hours after arriving to his workplace, he received a call from his wife, Akane.

His cousin and his wife, the Hyoudou couple, had passed away.

At the time, Akane was cleaning around the household like usual and was unexpectedly contacted by the Kuoh proper medical authorities. She was informed that the adults known as the "Hyoudou's" were found deceased under a collapsed room in their household, caused by a some sort of explosion.

This was not true. Not only because the truth was covered up, but because the explanation provided by those who examined the scene was that the only remains that were found were identified as the two adults. Those remains being a few severed body parts.

The most poignant one being a severed hand….

The real reason was still unknown to even the authorities. It is speculated to be caused from an explosion. Investigation is still ongoing.

Regardless, there would be nothing, but an empty casket during the services….

In order to spare her husband the mental stress of never knowing the reason behind their deaths, Akane decided to give him the most practical explanation without the more descriptive details. At the very least, he understands that the service will be closed casket and she will be conducting the most when it came to preparing the services, in order to lessen the emotional burden he may face.

They were contacted first because they were listed as the proper 'next of kin'. As a result of Hyoudou's deaths, the most difficult part to explain became grossly apparent.

Their only child, Issei Hyoudou, was left an orphan.

Akane was conflicted about what to do about the situation. —Satoshi was not. He was excused from work for the next 3 days for bereavement, courtesy of his manager.

He did not return home. Rather, he went to retrieve Issei Hyoudou without hesitation. He was in the custody of a department of children's welfare. He filled out the proper paperwork and brought Issei back home with him.

— _The boy was dead._

There was no light in his eyes and no life in his movements.

There was not a single word uttered by either of them.

He simply picked the boy up into his arms, placed his coat over his head, and drove him "home"...

There were no words that could be said. And even if there were, Satoshi did not know them.

In truth, reality had not set in for the man yet.

The tragic outcome to a random, non-major, natural disaster was all too surreal.

Satoshi kept thinking that if he returned Issei home, he would be greeted by a happy-go-lucky idiot of a father to the boy….. A foolish younger cousin, standing at the door with a smile to greet him.

...This was something he did not drive to the residence to confirm…

Satoshi brought the boy into the house. His wife immediately brought herself to her husband and took the boy from his arms. She took him upstairs and held on to him, silently, until he fell asleep.

Not a single word was said by the boy, nor to him.

There was simply nothing that could be said.

Their daughter would finally meet her cousin, under the very worst of circumstances. Not yet understanding why he would not come down from the room to play.

Satoshi and the boy's father were not "inseparable" or anything to that extent. But their relationship was good. They spoke often enough. They played together when they were young. They went to one another's weddings and their children's birthdays/events. Their relationship was as proper as a family members should be. Not as they were the greatest of friends, but they were family.

Satoshi did not know that he was the Hyoudou's next of kin.

It came as a surprise to him. That may have been why he so easily accepted the orphaned boy with open arms.

There was someone in his family who thought so fondly of him…. And yet he was not even aware of it….. Now, that person was gone and their only child was all that was left….

— _Some part of his heart, he felt crumble._

"Honey…"

Satoshi was snapped out of his depressing thoughts.

"...If you're tired, you can go rest…."

"..Eh? Ah, no, it's fine. I'm alright."

He responded tiredly to his wife's concern, causing her to only worry more.

"...Are you going to wait for him to wake up?..."

To that question, Satoshi had no answer, not even for himself.

"..."

"Mama, Taaki!"

The toddler tugged down on her mother's shirt incessantly.

"Ah, yes, my dear. I know."

Akane stood up, walking with Maki in her arms to the kitchen.

Satoshi was left to sit alone in silence, watching the TV with a vacant expression.

"...Ah, that's right. It's my daughter's birthday in a week….. It's going to be your boy's birthday in a few months too, isn't it, Itoko-kun?..."

He said that dryly as he stared absentmindedly, with empty eyes, at the talk show on TV.

* * *

 **-DxD-**

Upstairs, in one of the few rooms of the house, the boy laid silently in bed. Curled up in a fetal position, like the lonely child he was. Hoping that, at some point, he would awake to the warmth of his mother's grasp.

….

...

...

—And from within his mind, an unfamiliar voice spoke to him.

[Partner.]

….

[Partner. Are you awake?]

….

[You _can_ hear me, can't you, boy.]

….

[Is that it? Is this where your journey ends? You will allow yourself to waste away, here, in this room?]

….

….

….

 _'...There is nothing...'_

[..?]

 _'...There is nothing, Ddraig... Mum... Pops...They're gone...There is... I have nothing left...'_

[I am sympathetic to your loss, you are my host, after all. But, is this really how you intend to live your life? You plan to live it in misery?]

 _'….They're gone, Ddraig..…...My mom…...My dad...…..I'm alone...'_

[I see. I do not understand such concepts as "tragedy" and "family", having experienced neither. So losing such a thing is detrimental to the heart? Many of my past hosts did not have proper family. Some of them killed their own. It was something I could not easily comprehend.]

….

 _'My family was all I had…..I don't have anything else left…..Not anymore…...'_

[You do not thirst for revenge?]

 _'...Revenge?... You mean, payback?... I am weak…...I don't know who did it…. It doesn't matter anymore….'_

[I see.]

Their conversation ended with that.

 _ **Knock knock**_..

A light knocking was heard on the door of the room he was in. After some silence, he heard a voice follow it.

"Issei-kun.. I'm going to enter…"

 _ **Dakun**_..

The door opened, and some light from the hallway partially illuminated the dark room.

The person standing at the door was the boy's uncle, Satoshi. He looked onto Issei from the doorway. The boy was lying in the bed on his side, facing away from the door.

"...Some food will be ready soon….. I'm sure you'd like to eat... Did you eat anything when you were with the welfare department?..."

There was no response.

A deafening silence was obvious, even with the subtle sounds of cooking downstairs. Satoshi would more easily hear his heartbeat than a single breath from the boy.

"...Maki-chan has been wanting to see you as well….. She would want to play with you, at her age…. You are her….first cousin…..after all….."

Satoshi hesitated a bit when saying that. It was as if something in his subconscious ate at him as he said it.

"..."

But, again, there was no response. His harvest bore no fruit.

With a defeated sigh, Satoshi decided it was enough and slowly began to close the door.

"...At least come down to eat when we're gone….."

 _ **Creak**_...

 _ **Dakun**_.

And quietly, the door shut.

* * *

"Yay~! Taaki! Taaki!"

Little Maki was cheering while sitting in the Kotatsu as her mother placed her dinner on it. Maki loves the Kotatsu and practically never wants to leave it. She is just a child after all. So, because of her, they do usually have to eat dinner at the Kotatsu.

"Maki-chan, remember what you say before food."

"Itakimas~!"

"Yes, good girl. Itadakima—"

 ** _Slide_**...

Just as they were about to eat dinner, the sliding door to the living area they were in, opened…..

There stood the boy with his head down. Truthfully, the parents were shocked to see him. The first ones to realize it were the mother and her daughter. Still so, the girl moved before her mother did.

"Ise-ku—"

"—Nii-Nii!"

The girl interrupted her mother excitedly, calling out her cousin with an incorrect/babyish version of the term 'Big Bro'. She quickly slipped out from her mother's lap and waddled her way towards her cousin, who lifted his head a bit in response.

That's right, this was the first time he met this girl. His uncle's daughter. His baby cousin.

She was small, unsteadily making her way towards his legs, and her head only went up to his stomach. She had brown hair and short pigtails. She was wearing a pink 'onesie' pajama. Most of all, she was unbelievably adorable. She resembled her mother.

— _She also resembled that bloodied little girl…._

"Ah!"

The girl almost tripped when she reached Issei, but the boy caught her. She smiled brightly up at him.

"Nii-Nii! Taaki~!"

.

.

.

.

.

In what had felt like years, for reasons unknown even to himself, Issei—

— _Smiled ever so slightly._

"Ah~!"

Maki lifted her arms, indicating she wanted to be held. Issei slowly picked her up and walked over to Akane, passing her the girl.

"C-Come now, Maki-chan~ Not everyone can pick you up when you ask them, you know?"

Akane said that to her daughter a bit nervously. She was shocked seeing the boy smile after how dead how he had seemed hours ago. Well, seeing a 6 year old boy pick up another toddler half his size so easily also threw her off, but she was hardly thinking about that. Even more caught off guard than her, was her husband.

Satoshi didn't say anything. Once again, he had no words.

What could he say? Should he begin small talk? What sort of insensitive family member would that make him? He obviously can't start with the subject matter itself. That would only spoil the atmosphere and ruin Issei's attempt at connecting with people around him again. Should he ignore him? That shouldn't even be an option. His own cousin was gone. His nephew's father. How was he supposed to address such an issue?

He didn't even know how he was supposed explain that to his aunt, the boy's grandmother, and his child's grand-aunt. His wife was the one who ended up informing the boy's grandmother.

The call was long and silent on his wife's side. It was obvious that there wasn't much to be said. It was something meant to be said in person, but she would find out from someone else if not them, most likely her other son. But as the next of kin, he felt they had a responsibility to explain it to most of the family members. A few of them already knew, after attempting to contact the Hyoudou family and receiving no response, when learning of the Kuoh casualties.

The first ones being Satoshi's sister, another cousin to the Hyoudou parents. When she had been called to receive the confirmation, she had begun crying a bit. She couldn't help it, since she was considerably close to the Hyoudou wife. However, she believed that her 8 year old daughter would have more trouble dealing with this because she is very emotional, even more so than herself. She cared for her aunt/uncle and their son.

To believe that all of this happened because of what was considered a "minor event".

Looking at all of it from the outside, it was an absolute tragedy.

But now, Satoshi and his family were faced with the greatest challenge there was. Confronting this issue with the Hyoudou's very own son. Satoshi wasn't confident that he could handle it. He couldn't even handle calling his aunt when he had the phone in his hands. His wife made all of the calls on his behalf.

— _He felt like a coward._

"Ah! Wait, Maki-chan!"

Satoshi was snapped from his thoughts again, seeing his daughter crawl out of her mother's lap with a Takoyaki ball in her hand. She crawled into Issei's lap and lifted herself to his head and held it up to him.

"Nii-Nii! Taaki!"

She held it up to him from her palm. Some of the sauce was on her hand and the top was just a bit squished.

"Ah, Maki..."

But before Satoshi and his wife could interfere, something extraordinary happened.

"...Ah…. Mm…"

Issei lowered his head and took the ball into his mouth, effectively eating it in a few bites.

"...Thanks... Maki-chan…."

He gave her a weak smile. His strength hadn't returned to him, but he was still trying.

His baby cousin smiled happily in response. She then reached for another Takoyaki ball from the plate in front on her mother.

"Wait, wait, Maki-chan. You can't touch it with your hands. Here."

Her mother pricked one of the Takoyaki balls with a toothpick and lifted it to her daughter's mouth.

"Here. Ah~."

"Aaaah."

Maki opened her mouth and took the Takoyaki into her mouth. Of course, she immediately grabbed it out of her mouth and handed it to Issei.

"Maki-chan! I just said—!"

"Iyaaah, Nii-Niiii!"

Akane snatched her daughter from her nephew's lap, causing her to become distressed due to being ripped from her cousin's grasp.

"Okay, okay, calm down, Maki-chan. Here, do it like this."

Akane showed her daughter how to place a Takoyaki on a toothpick. Seeing that, Maki was happy again and repeatedly tried to feed some to Issei.

"Hey, hey, now. You have to eat as well, Maki-chan."

Issei felt a small smile threatening to creep onto his face.

— _H_ _e felt truly horrible._

There was no stronger pain than what he felt in his heart.

The only thing keeping him from breaking down in the face of those he knew as "family", was the small girl who acted so dearly towards him. He forced down his emotion along with his food, and smiled. Every time he looked upon the child, his mind was sent into a disarray of screeching memories riddled with— _beasts, blood, death_ —

— _loneliness, hunger, fear, time, pain, weight, Devils, Dragon, tears, screams, crunches, eyes, night, MUM, DAD_ —

—"...Nii-Nii…"

"Eh?..."

Issei was brought back into reality by the sound of a light whimpering and the mention of his newly assigned nickname.

When he came to, he realized that he was staring at a teary eyed Maki, holding up a Takoyaki ball he ha yet to take from her.

"T-That's enough, Maki-chan. Let's let Ise-kun eat his food. Too much Takoyaki is bad for you…."

"...Mm…."

Maki-chan lowered her head with a teary pout as she slumped into her mother's lap sadly. Issei did feel bad, but nothing could compare to the sorrow overshadowing his entire being.

…..But, he appreciated it. A miniscule amount of relief came from knowing that someone still cares.

The moment he lost his family, he felt alone. Completely and utterly alone. No one else in the world left with him. As if everything that mattered was gone.

Did anyone care? If they did, did he care for their sympathy? Was there anyone left to impress? To make proud? To love? To appreciate? To make happy? To show off? To introduce? To hug? To cry to? To complain to? To thank?...

"Ah~! Nii-Nii! Hide, hide~!"

"Ah, wait, Maki-chan! You have to finish dinner before you play hide and seek!"

The girl suddenly seemed excited and had already escaped from her mother's grasp the moment she told Issei about "hiding". She ran off and out of the sliding door to another room. Akane could only sigh at her daughter's antics.

"Haah…. My dear….. I-I'm sorry, Ise-kun. She'll come back soon enough.."

Yet, Issei stood up.

"Ise-kun?..."

…..

"..T-Ten…. Nine... Eight…. Seven…. Six... Five... Four... Three…. Two... One….. O-Okay..! Time's up! Here I come!"

—The two parents could only watch in disbelief.

Issei had his back turned to them and counted down the seconds, effectively accepting Maki-chan's offer to play. He walked out of the door and into the hallway, leaving the parents alone together.

When Issei stepped out of the living area, he closed the sliding door and took in the scenery. Right in front him were a set of stairs, against a wall, leading up to the second floor. To his right, was the entrance to the house.

He decided to search the first floor, considering he didn't hear footsteps going upstairs.

There was another room, past the stairs, that he entered. It looked like a playroom.

 _A playroom….._

...

He entered it, against the will of his his subconscious hesitation.

 _ **Rustle**.._

He could hear the subtle sound of movement on carpet. At one side of the room, there was a small coffee table with a cloth over it. He could see the tip of the girls cute socks sticking out from under it.

…..

Her feet were small….. She had an adorably small stature in general….. She was innocent….. She was happy…... She was normal…..

…...

—' _Why did it have to be me?'_

"Hehehe~"

 **[—!]**

The moment he heard the girls giggle, Issei felt chills run down his spine.

An enormous amount of disgust filled him.

 _《_ _"Why did it have to be me?"_ _》_ — What sort of reaction was that?

So, just because it hurts, that means that it was alright to imply that someone else should feel his pain instead? It's alright to think someone else should be unhappy instead of himself? It's alright to envy others for something that has nothing to do with them?

— _It's alright to have thought, even for a moment, that this girl should've been the victim instead?_

"Hehehe~..."

The girl was giggling from under the table while wiggling her little toes.

 _'...'_

Issei got on his knees and quickly lifted the cloth.

"I found you~!"

"Aaaaahahahaha~!"

Maki speedily crawled out from under the table, trying to get away.

"I won't let you run~!"

"Aaahahaha~!"

She squealed playfully as Issei caught her leg and dragged her back, while she repeated her attempts to get away.

...

After a few minutes, the two children started playing other various games. The last one they were playing involved Maki's favorite dolls. Playing house with them, specifically. She is, of course, making her doll "cook some takoyaki".

"Yay~! Taaki, Taaki~"

Issei held the same little smirk from before on his face.

—He hated himself. He was a "legendary being"? A "God killer"? He was "special"?

He hates it. He hates the idea of it.

Somebody who could look down at this little girl and think "It's not fair"?

— _'I hate you.'_

Issei thought that as he looked down on the smiling girl, the image of his own stupid face sitting on top of hers.

...

[Do not blame yourself, partner. That envy is a natural response.]

 _'Then I hate the fact that it is natural. I hate it all.'_

[Yet, you do not hate the Devils.]

 _'They aren't the ones who did it…. And, even if they did, then what would it matter?'_

[It seems you do not fully understand your situation, do you, child?]

 _'..."Child"…. I haven't known you for more than a day Ddraig, but I know that when you call me that, it's because you're looking down on me….'_

[Not at all, partner. I'm simply acknowledging your ignorance because of your age and lack of experience.]

 _'...I feel like that is the same thing…'_

[Regardless, _boy_ , you still are not aware of the most significant issue. — _You are no longer safe_.]

(—!)

Issei visibly tensed at Ddraig's words.

A monster?! Was it closing in?! He didn't feel like anything was near them. Then again, he wasn't anywhere near as aware of anything around him like Ddraig was.

Regardless, his level of fear rose beyond imagination. His mind raced with the gruesome ideas spawned from the haunting memories of the day before.

[You misunderstand me, partner. There is no immediate threat to your lives. You are _currently_ safe.]

 _'Wha—?!... You mean…. I'm not in danger?...'_

[No. Excuse my language. I had phrased that incorrectly.]

 _'Ah…. I see…'_

Issei breathed a sigh of relief as the girl beside continued playing, unaware.

[You see, partner, the issue is not your "current" state. Rather, it is your "future".]

 _'My future?...'_

[How were you planning to live your life as of now?]

 _'...I don't know….. I wasn't thinking about it…. I didn't think there was a life to live anymore…. Why?...'_

[Well, boy, if you had ever considered the concept of living a "normal" life, you are more unfortunate than you first believed.]

 _'...What are you saying to me, Ddraig?...'_

[You are this generation's sekiryuutei. That is a reality you cannot escape. Just the same as you cannot escape your family's death. It is a truth that has now been uncovered.]

 _'...Are you saying that somebody knows I'm here?..'_

[Not necessarily. Not yet.]

 _'...Yet?...'_

[Once again, you are this generation's sekiryuutei. The Red Dragon Emperor. The wielder of the Boosted Gear, a Mid-tier Longinus. A God killing weapon, which contains the soul of one of the most formerly powerful beings in existence. Whether you are an ally, or an enemy, is something that must be determined by those who view you as "threatening". Essentially, all of them.]

 _'...What?...'_

[I had not explained to you before, partner, but Devils are not the only meddlesome existences running amok in this world, nor the other.]

 _'...D...Do you mean that... There are more things like Devils?...'_

[Yes. There are an insurmountable number of supernatural beings that inhabit this earth and the "earth below". Though, the one below is not where the Devils reside, believe it or not. They reside within a separate dimension.]

 _'...'_

[You had once made reference to your knowledge of the Christian teachings. Were those your prior beliefs?]

 _'...No…. My friend... Rin…. His family was Christian. They knew a lot about that stuff. He told me there were Angels and Demons. And that the Demons were the bad guys and the Angels were the good guys. Angels were on the side of God…. Demons were on the side of the Devil…. That's all I really know too much about…'_

[I see. Well, partner, there is more to the story than solely a battle between Angels and Devils. Even so, that is not the issue itself. It does not matter if you know the sides just yet. All you need to know now, is that they are all enemies. They will do anything to gain the upper hand. And you are that upper hand.]

 _'...What are you talking about?..'_

[You are the Sekiryuutei. It goes without saying that you are a valuable asset to any side. You possess an immensely powerful Sacred Gear and your future potential for it is higher than average. It would be foolish not to pursue you.]

 _'..?! Pursue?!'_

Ddraig's words resonated within Issei. They were going to "hunt" him.

[Yes. To put it bluntly, you are a target, in every sense of the word. You are valuable, and you are dangerous. You cannot be left unattended. You _will_ _not_ be left unattended. They will come to recruit you. If they cannot accomplish that, then they will see to your disposal.]

 _'Dis...posal?...'_

[They will destroy you.]

 _'..?!'_

[My question to you, boy, is: **Do you care for these people?** ]

 _'...That is... I...'_

Issei looked down at the toddler playing with her doll.

 _'...Why are you asking me that, Ddraig?...'_

[Do you not understand? They will find you— _All of you_ — **_Then, what will you do_** _?_ _]_

...

"Taaki~! Taaki~!"

Maki smiled up at him—

— _with blood on her face._

….

….

….

….

….

….

….

….

….

"..Maki-chan."

"Eh?"

"I love you..."

The girl's face grew into a bright, beautiful smile. She instantly wrapped herself tightly around Issei's waist.

"Me too! I wuv Nii-Nii~!"

Issei gently hugged her back.

Little did he know that the girl's mother was peeking into the room silently, with a soft smile on her face and a tear threatening to creep out of her eye. Her husband could clearly hear what was happening from from the living area.

He only felt more ashamed of his weakness.

* * *

 _A few hours later..._

Issei was lying alone in his new bed. He was told that they would retrieve his belongings tomorrow morning. Originally, his baby cousin tried her best to sleep together with him in his room, but she was not allowed to by her father. Not because he was concerned, but mostly because of what was about to transpire:

 _ **Knock knock**_...

 ** _Dakun_**.

There was a knock at the door right before it opened. It was Issei's uncle. Satoshi had finally mustered the courage to come and talk to Issei.

"Oji-san….."

"Hello, Issei-kun…"

Satoshi entered the room and sat by the side of the boy's bed.

"..."

"..."

It was silent between them. Even though he was able to bring himself to face him, Satoshi still had no words for the boy.

….

"...When your father had first introduced me to your mother…. To be honest, I was afraid of her…. Hehe…"

He decided to break the silence with a nervous tone and laugh. Issei perked up slightly and listened intently.

"...She had a lot of control over your father….. I thought that it was unhealthy for him….. But then I was reminded of how many outrageous things he said and did at his age….. He really was a crazy man."

"Otou-san was?"

"Yeah. He was quite the wild one when we were in high school. He asked out girls around every week. He pulled pranks on our teachers all the time. He never hurt anybody, but he made a lot of things dirty and messed with a lot of people. He was a true troublemaker."

"...I've pulled pranks on Oji-san too, huh…."

"Ahahahaha…. Yes, I believe you have. You were the one who cut my belt during our baby's first birthday. At that time, you were annoyed with your parents for making you attend because you didn't even know who Maki-chan was, and you didn't even want to meet her out of spite, haha…"

Issei lowered his head a bit shamefully.

"I…..am glad that I met Maki-chan….. I love Maki-chan…."

A smile finally appeared on Satoshi's tired face.

"It makes me happy to hear that."

"Mm…."

Once again, the silence returned.

"Issei-kun…"

"Hm?"

"We are your family. I want you to remember that. We are your family….. We will be by your side as well. I will take care of you the best that I can. At the very least, that is my promise to you…... And my promise to your father…."

To that, Issei had no response and only held his head down. The familiar silence returned once again, this time, lingering for longer than ever before.

...

...

Until..

 ** _Sob_**...

A few sniffles were heard from the boy. His body was shaking. Tiny droplets of water landed on his knees, falling from his head.

….Slowly, Satoshi brought his nephew into a soft embrace…

….

"Goodnight, Issei-kun."

"Goodnight, Oji-san…"

 ** _Dakun_**..

After comforting his nephew for a bit, Satoshi was out the door and on his way to bed. He quietly entered his bedroom, where his wife lie in bed. She happened to notice him and lifted herself up.

"You spoke with him?"

"Yes…"

 _ **Dakun**_..

"How did it go?"

"Good….. I think..he will be alright…."

"..?! Honey, what's wrong?"

Akane suddenly stood up from the bed and ran to her husband, gently holding his face with a concerned look. Satoshi was confused at her actions.

"Hmm? What is it?"

She gained a look of sadness.

"...You're crying…"

—And Satosh realized it, as something wet fell from his face.

 _ **Drip**_... _**Drip**_...

"Ah."

And yet, he found himself smiling slightly.

"...Heh…. Yes…. I suppose I am…."

* * *

Issei lie quietly on his side, in his bed.

….

[I believe I know your answer to my earlier question now…. Don't I, partner?]

"...Yeah."

Issei answered Ddraig out loud.

His grip on the blanket tightened intensely.

— _There was a dark, ominous, expression on his face._

 _ **"I won't let them find us...** **I will find them first."**_

* * *

 **End**

 **Woooh! That's the next one. Inspiration for this story is strong. Especially considering that this story has already become popular. As I thought, the premise really does make a difference. A lot of times an eye-catching premise/summary can really blow up stories. Not to mention, it's a story with a very original execution in writing to a sort of cliche premise. I'm not bragging but I'm pretty sure I've never seen anyone write the "Issei is an orphan" story as I have. To be fair, the first chapter was pretty fuckin crazy and unique. I won't say it's creative but it's really something that no one else could think of because it's something I been boiling up from my fucked up mind.**

 **Anyway, for next chapter I actually want to ask you guys what you guys think the next chapter should be about. Because I can't help but feel that many readers are expecting some sort of time skip. Which is not at all what I was planning. So I want to hear your opinions on what you are/were expecting and what you want to see.**

 **So you know tell me your thoughts on basically anything.**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy. Like usual.**

 **Stay frosty.**

 **P.S. Maki-chan is the most adorable character I've ever written. Also, "Itoko-kun" means "little cousin".**


	3. Chapter 3: Improvement

**Hey there boys, we're back. Wooh! This story is getting popular real quick! It's only been a few days and it's already about to get 90+ followers and 70 favorites. I'm glad most of you like it. But there's a little thing I want to address.**

 **So pretty much over 95% of the reviews have been positive. In fact, I think there are less than 5 reviews that are even a bit negative. First off, do not leave a review that requires a response if you are a guest or if you have PMs disabled. You have a brain don't you? You understand that I cannot respond to you unless you have an account? Or I can't respond because you don't let people message you? Why would you ask a question if it cannot be answered? You want me to point you out like a fucking moron? I can certainly do that but it's annoying. Anyway, the main point. I had a little rant about how shit many stories on this site are for being ludicrous and worthless and some fuckin imbeciles decided to give their worthless opinions based solely on emotion rather than logical arguments.**

 **First off, these dumbfucks kept mentioning "NTR" when I literally never said it….I never mentioned NTR. But I guess they assumed I did because I said that OC/Self insert stories are shit. Here's the thing: THEY ARE. I have not read ONE SINGLE fuckin OC/Self insert stories that are well written or enjoyable to read. They're all fucking garbage. And the reason is because amateur authors don't know how to write original characters well and when they insert themselves it's just some stupid fuckin wish fulfillment that is terribly cringey to read. It has nothing to do with NTR and shit, I wasn't even thinking about that, I was talking about stories that replace Issei mainly. Regardless, these stories are always shit. That's my problem. And of course I hate garbage that inspires more garbage.**

 **Second, saying "tHiS iS fAnFiC" is NOT AN EXCUSE for justifying the creation of worthless garbage that serves no greater purpose whatsoever to the community other than inspiring more garbage. And don't you dare try saying you are writing something "for yourself" if you are uploading it. Because if you are uploading it under the guise that it's "just for you" then you are a egotistic fuckin retard who is lying because if you didn't want others to praise your garbage you wouldn't upload it. If you upload it it's cuz you want someone to see it. At the very least, I can appreciate or forgive authors who acknowledge that they aren't good writers and are just writing because they have a passion for it, not a talent for it. If you realize you're not good at it but still want to try your best at making your own story then that I can respect. But if you just write it because "tHiS is fAnFiC. Let me just write some dumb shit cuz I hate Rias and I wanna see my OC fuck everybody" then you are an absolute pathetic excuse of a writer who is doing nothing worthwhile with their time. You're not inspiring anything and nobody cares about what you're uploading. If you encourage that then your opinions are worthless and your credibility as a reviewer is null. (Also none of this applies to lemon stories obviously because porn is a whole different subject).**

 **And lastly, to clear things up, I don't necessarily have problems with crazy stories in general, only crazy stories that are IMPOSSIBLE to write well. Like for example the one that got sent to me: OP Humanoid-Dragon Issei who was transformed by Great Red after unlocking his gear along with Juggernaut Drive for the first time, with Holy powers & Amaterasu powers with a Harem including: Yasaka, Kunou, Ophis, Xenovia, Grayfia, Tiamat, Kuroka, Katase, Aika, and Jeanne- who he can make his servants through some sort of Dragon transformation shit that doesn't make sense?! Do you understand now?! Can you make sense of that?! Do you think it would ever be possible for any writer to write such an atrocity properly?! NO. IT'S FUCKING GARBAGE. Not because it's crazy, but because it's so crazy YOU CAN'T WRITE IT WELL. And don't say "It's just for fun" because if you find such an impossible mess of incoherent bullshit "fun" then you are FUCKING BRAIN DEAD (unless you're reading them ironically). Well…...I suppose I'm stupid for trying to convince some meaningless unthinking reprobates…..But hey…..I'm petty like that.**

 **Well, the majority of you didn't even have to read that tbh because most of you are great. It's really like 3 people I think. So for those of you who so badly wanted a response to your shit comments, here you fuckin go.**

 **P.S. The ones who said the dumbest shit were actually all just guest readers. Go figure.**

 **[Proofreading note: this rant is old and was already written into the latest chapter of RD of stupidity because the chapters were technically updated out of order so it'll look weird to see it here if you've already read that chapter lol.]**

 **P.P.S. Make sure to listen to some sad ass music when you read this chapter.**

* * *

 **-SCENE-**

….. _ **Sob**_ ….. _ **Sob**_ …..

The sound of weeping.

The sobbing of an older women; a senior woman. The old woman was sitting in the first row of a church, holding on to a young boy, while weeping softly. Sitting next to them was a middle aged couple, and their young daughter, who was sleeping in her father's arms with a blanket over her head.

The boy that the old woman was holding onto had a never-ending stream of tears running down his cheeks silently. His expression contrasted his tears, as it was seemingly blank. Yet, the sorrow in his heart was incomparable.

Many people were seated in the rows behind them. Two large families, each on a different side. The side corresponding the respective coffin of their loved one.

And in the front of the church, there were the objects of interest.

Two coffins, and two portraits on the side of each coffin.

— _Two empty coffins._

…. _ **Sob**_ …..

Sobbing was heard throughout the church. Though not very loud, a few of them were noticeable. Light music was being played while a couple of televisions were going through a slideshow of pictures of the family.

..Most of them included their son.

The slideshow began with their first Christmas together as a young couple, and ended with a photo as recent as a month ago. displaying their time at the beach with their son and his young friend. Whenever the slideshow ended, it faded to black, then showed a slide displaying their birth dates and death dates. After that, the slideshow repeated itself over again.

Satoshi did not count how many times he watched the slideshow repeat itself. At this point, he memorized the entire order of the ensemble of pictures. He was glad that his little girl was asleep on his shoulder. It was early in the morning, so she is always asleep during this time. He would prefer that she didn't watch her beloved Great aunt or her beloved cousin weep together. His wife was the unlucky one, being seated right next to the crying duo on her left. Although, she did volunteer, as to not let her daughter easily hear their sorrow and interrupt her sleep.

Every once in a while, someone went up to the coffins to pay respects or spend a few seconds of silence in front of them.

It felt like the services had been going on for hours and hours.

With each passing minute, the reality before him had finally set in for Satoshi.

—His cousin was gone. So was the man's wife. The Hyoudou family, was essentially no more. And his aunt, Issei's grandmother, now only had one 'son'. A grandson that has yet to have had children with his wife. The only true remnant of her deceased child being his very own son which she held in her arms, her grandson.

Satoshi's gaze was locked onto the coffin of his cousin. A coffin, he knew well, was empty.

But in his voice, all he could hear, was his cousin's voice.

 _("Satoshi! You won't believe it! He's alive! My boy is alive! We're at the hospital right now! He's in my arms! My baby boy is alive! He's healthy! His name is Issei! After two failures, we finally did it! Oh thank God! Thank God! I may just become a Christian after all! Ahahahaha!")_

...

...

"..Oba-san."

The thing that snapped Satoshi from his memories was the robotic sounding voice of his nephew. Satoshi turned to his wife, whom the boy had seemingly called out to.

…The boy had a hand tugging on Akane's shirt.

He was looking up at her with an emptiness in his expression and hollow eyes…

 _ **"Where are Mum and dad?... I want to see them…"**_

.

.

.

The boy's grandmother slowly wrapped her arms around his entire body, putting him in a blanket and, holding onto him as she began sobbing loudly.

 _ **Sob! Sob..!**_

Her cries reverberated off of the walls of the quiet church...

..One of Satoshi's shaking hands was brought up to his face as he held his head in it, and the sounds of his memories played in his head again.

 _("Ohohohoho~! A daughter, huh! Well, that should definitely make both of our mother's happy! Who knows, my mother might end up liking her more than she likes Issei! Though I doubt it. Ah, and if we get desperate, we can just marry them off in the future! How about it? Hahahahaha!")_

—He could not cry, for he had his sleeping daughter in his arms. Yet as if to respond, his body would begin to quiver, to an unreasonable degree…..

The Hyoudou family— was no more.

* * *

 **Part 1**

It was the next day. The day after the services.

In the early morning, a young girl named Maki Aikawa, was watching some of her favorite TV shows, mostly consisting of "Magical Girl" series. Though she enjoyed watching the series regularly, she didn't seem to be enjoying it as much as she normally would.

"Mama!"

Maki called out to her mother from the Kitchen, who was cooking an ensemble of her favorite foods from "Hambaga" to "Taaki" and more. There was also a large cake on the table.

"When is Nii-Nii gonna wake up?"

She asked her mother with a sad face. It's no wonder she would be asking that. Of course she would want to be spending her birthday with the cousin she loved so much.

That's right. It was her birthday today. The day after the services. What cruel irony. Her mother responded in an unsure manner

"Well, dear….. I don't know. Onii-chan is very tired from yesterday after all…."

Maki lowered her head dejectedly. She grew a bit of a pout.

 _ **Pom!**_

She wiggled her little body off of the couch she was sitting on, landing on the floor, and made her way out of the room.

"..Maki-chan?"

Akane looked back when she didn't hear her daughter respond. She didn't see her on the couch, so she decided to peer out of the kitchen. The only thing she saw was a small body making its way up the stairs.

"Ah! No, no! Maki-chan, wait!"

Akane quickly turned the stove off, as to not burn anything, and scrambled over to catch her daughter before she reached the upstairs bedroom that she didn't want her to. But as she made her way up the stairs, she realized she was a bit too slow.

 _ **Knock, knock..!**_

"Nii-Nii! Let's play!"

"No, no, no! Maki-chan!"

Akane knelt down to Maki's level and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Listen, Maki-chan. You can't be bothering onii-chan when it's a time like this. I know it's your birthday and I'm sure onii-chan wants to spend time with you too…. But he can't.."

"But why? Nii-Nii don't love Maki?"

"No, no, that's not it. I'm sure that he does, but.."

Unfortunately, Maki was much too young to comprehend the concept of death yet. So even if Akane tried to explain Issei's grief to her, Maki wouldn't understand it. If anything, it was sad that she was just a young girl, wondering why her beloved cousin was locked in a room on her birthday, rather than playing with her. She wonders if this is how the memory will stick in her head.

…. _ **Knock**_ \- _**Knock, knock**_ \- _**Knock**_ …..

An odd pattern of knocks was heard from the other side of the door.

"..Ah!"

Maki ran to the door excitedly and reciprocated the knocks. Though, unlike the previous knocks, they didn't have a proper sequence.

 _ **Knock, knock, knock, knock!**_

….

 ** _Knock, knock_** \- _**Knock, Knock**_ \- _**Knock**_ \- _**Knock**_..

The series of knocks continued, and again, Maki reciprocated them.

 _ **Knock! Knock, Knock, Knock!**_

But after Maki's last knocks, the door went silent. There was no response.

….

Maki's smile faded away and was replaced with a sad pout.

Until..

 _ **Dakun!**_

—The door suddenly flew open.

"Oooooooooooy! Who the heck is knockin' on my dang door so much, eh?!"

"Aaaahahahahahaha~!"

Out of nowhere, the door to the room swung open, and a broadly smiling Issei came out and attacked Maki with "ferocious" tickles.

"Ora, ora, ora! Take that!"

"Hyaaaaahahahaha~!"

He finally released her and stood over her "menacingly".

"You better ruu~un! Or else the scary Dragon will burn you aliiive~!"

"Aaaaaaahahahahaha~!"

Maki scurried across the floor to reach the stairs and crawled quickly downstairs. Issei only smiled as he watched her make her way down.

Akane didn't know how to respond. But she knew that she felt worried.

"...Ise-ku—"

"—It's okay."

"Eh?"

Issei interrupted her sentence. He turned to Akane with a small smile.

"I'm okay…... I have to be okay... Because today is Maki-chan's day..."

….

Issei walked off without saying anything more, making his way down the stairs.

* * *

 _ **Don!**_

"...Haaah... Hah... Hah…"

—In the dead of night, Issei was standing in the middle of a forest. He was training, for the first time ever.

He planted his gauntlet into the body of a tree. The impact was not substantial. It hardly left some scratches.

[Unfortunate, partner. It doesn't seem as though you've done any damage. As I thought, even with your potential, you are still much too young.]

"...Hah…. Why?... Is this really everything?..."

 _ **Thud!**_

Issei fell flat on his back, onto the floor, clearly exhausted.

[I'm afraid so, partner. In the end, you are still just a boy. You may be able to handle two boosts of your strength, which is leagues above what any other host of mine could do when first activating their gear at similar ages, let alone activating it so young.— In fact, as of currently, you are the second youngest host in history to have unlocked the Gear.— However, none of that necessarily indicates that you would grow properly.]

 _'..There was somebody younger than me?'_

[Indeed. He was only the ripe age of 5 years. Meanwhile, you are nearly 2 years above him. He was quite a terrifying host. His circumstances prompted the Gear 'necessary' for his survival. Not only once, but every waking day. Had he lived a full life, I do not doubt that he would have become my strongest host.]

 _'...He died young?...'_

[Correct. He was killed before he reaching a proper adolescence.]

 _'..Ado…?'_

[He was the age of 15.]

 _'...That's really young…'_

[It is. Quite unfortunate. However, I find it even more fortunate that you lived through your experience. I sense potential within you that surpasses even his.]

 _'..Really? You think I'm gonna be strong?'_

[Exceedingly so. Your current state is not exemplary, that much is true. Nevertheless, I feel that, should you pursue strength, it will not evade you.]

 _'Which means…'_

[—I believe that if you do not neglect your training, you may become my strongest host.]

 _'..Neglect?'_

[To ignore or leave alone. —If you train, you will become strong. That is all that matters.]

 _'..Okay…. But, like you said before…. How can I train?... You already told me that I was too young to do anything…. So what do I do?'_

[Indeed, the greatest obstacle we currently face is that there is not much training you can accomplish at your level. The most ideal choice would be to advance your 'base' level. Your body is that of a child, but at the very least, you may able to increase the limit of your boosts. That would solve many problems. But as it is, that doesn't seem possible without proper regiment of some sort.]

 _'..So all I can do is work out like a normal person?'_

[I do not believe that will be enough. Something more may be necessary. But we must make do with whatever we currently have. So increasing just the strength of your body will have to do.]

 _'...Being a kid sucks…'_

[..Partner!]

 _ **Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeee!**_

 **[—?!]**

Issei's body whipped up in terror.

—That noise. That same noise. A "scream". An ear piercing screech.

 _The screech of a Nightwalker._

 _ **CHILLS..!**_

Issei jumped up to his feet almost immediately.

 _'..A monster! The monster! The Nightwalker! Why?! How?! This wasn't_ — _!_ _Ddraig! I thought you said they would have captured all of those things!'_

[I do not understand either, partner. The Devils themselves had stated they would capture every specimen. I did not exactly trust their words, but even so, there was a full scale barrier of an unbelievable class surrounding that entire town of yours. Even if they did not capture them all, they could not have escaped as long as the Devils were there. Most especially the Nightwalker, which has a very noticeable presence. There surely should have been no possibility of one escaping. It seems that there was much more to the situation that we did not know of at the time.]

 _'Who cares!? What do I do?!'_

[Escape, partner. It is advancing in your direction. From the west, behind you.]

 _ **Tks! Crack! Tks!**_

 _'I can hear it moving in the trees! It's moving fast!'_

[It's making its way straight towards you, partner. It's time to return to your home. If you make your way fast enough, it should easily lose you as long as I mask your presence. They may be cowardly when confronted, but the moment a Nightwalker is made aware of their advantage, they know no fear. The trick of activating your Gear will not work as it did last time. Not as long it is aware of your current strength. And I do not know how long it will take until your power resets.]

Issei bolted, running through the forest, back to where he came from.

 _'How can it tell how strong I am?!_ '

[Think of it as a wild animal. The moment it reaches you, it will immediately become aware of your difference in strength, even with your two boosts.]

 _'Okay, so can it smell me?! Or how will it find me?!'_

[I believe its primary reliance is on sound.]

 _'So then shouldn't I stop running and making noise?!'_

[No. In that case, it would simply hear your breathing.]

 _'Right! Ah, man! Well, hopefully I lose it before I escape the forest—'_

(—!)

 _ **Skid!**_

Issei suddenly grinded to a halt in the middle of a small clearing.

[Why do you stop, partner?]

….

 _'...Ddraig…. What happens when I escape?...'_

[What do you mean?]

 _'...This thing…. What will happen to it?...'_

[I do not know. It will most likely try to find its way out of the forest and reach civilization. Luckily, your residence is quite distanced from this place. It will reach others before it reaches you. Surely, the Devils will be made aware of it once many inexplicable deaths are reported. Either way, it will not pose immediate threat to you or your current family.]

….

 _ **Rustle**_ …

To Ddraig's surprise, Issei turned his body in the direction of the sounds of rustling. The rustling and cracking of tree branches were headed straight towards him.

[What are you doing, boy?]

 _'...You're telling me to escape... Run away, just like last time..?'_

—Within Issei's mind, the images of a bloodied girl and her mother's severed head flashed quickly by.

 _'...You're telling me to let this thing run loose?...'_

[Of course I am. —You are but a mere child. There is simply nothing you can do.]

….

...

—Issei's mind went into disarray. The entirety of Issei's memories from that day played back in his head, while Ddraig's words repeated themselves continuously. Memories blended with trauma.

Little did the boy ever know, how much exactly these words would haunt him for the rest of his life.

 _Corpses._

 _[There is simply nothing you can do.]_

 _Blood._

 _[There is simply nothing you can do.]_

 _Eyes._

 _[There is simply nothing you can do.]_

 _Vomit._

 _[There is simply nothing you can do.]_

 _Heads._

 _..._

 _..._

— _And a woman's severed hand._

 ** _[There is simply nothing you can do.]_**

.

.

.

.

[It's here.]

 **[—!]**

 _ **Rustle! Crack! Rustle!**_

Before he knew it, Issei was hearing harsh rustling and cracking sounds from all around him. It was as if there were more than one beast. No, it was just too fast for him to follow.

 _'..Ddraig. If you want us to survive then tell me where it's coming from.'_

[A foolish endeavor. You will lose your life for nothing.]

 _ **Break!**_

[The left!]

 ** _KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!_**

In a split second, the sudden breaking of a branch under pressure sounded off, quickly followed by a screech. The beast was flying straight at him!

 _ **DING!**_

The best defense Issei could do was hold up his Boosted Gear and hope that the slash didn't connect. It worked to deflect the attack, but Issei was sent sliding on floor, on his back.

 _ **Skid!**_

Immediately after its attack failed, the Nightwalker immediately launched itself back into the trees, in order to repeat the process.

"Urgh…."

[Stand up. It will not let you rest.]

"Right…"

In fact, just as Ddraig stated—

 _ **Break!**_

—The Nightwalker immediately leaped out from the treeline behind Issei.

[Behind!]

 _ **DING!**_

Issei deflected the attack at the last second, and again, he was sent sliding against the floor.

 ** _Skiiiiid!_**

"Argh!"

As if to toy with him, the Nightwalker slept back into the cover of the trees again.

 _ **Rustle!**_

 _'..Nngh! Is it just gonna keep doing until I die or something?!'_

[Most likely, yes. It doesn't seem as if it is trying to confront you. Rather, it is almost toying with you, like an animal would with its meek prey.]

 _'Well, what do I do so that it does face me?!'_

[I would highly suggest you avoid direct confrontation. The current situation is already bad enough, but at the very least, you can still survive by running. Then again, you have no intention of doing so, isn't that right? If that truly is the case, then we are facing almost certain death. You may technically have a better chance at survival if you kill it during a confrontation, but that possibility is extremely low. Both your chances of survival and death would increase during a confrontation, but your survival is only guaranteed if you flee.]

 _'Okay! So how do I get it to fight me?!'_

[Hmph... Foolish boy. If you so crudely desire to die, then simply find a way to damage it so that it may confront you. As I have said before, they may be cowardly in nature, but once they are aware of their advantage they should know no fear. Therefore, injuring even slightly would only agitate it greatly, since you are a weaker existence than it. It will face you then.]

 _'Okay! So I just have to hurt it! Tell me when it's coming, Ddraig!'_

Just as Issei and Ddraig's communication was ending, the Nightwalker lept out from the treeline again, and their game of 'attack, deflect, flee' started all over again.

 ** _Break!_**

[Right!]

'Woah!'

 _ **DING!**_

 _'Ah! A little bit earlier than that, Ddraig!'_

 _ **Break!**_

[Above!]

"What?!"

However, this time, the beast unexpectedly jumped high above Issei, quickly descending on his body which had already been knocked to the ground.

 ** _DON!_**

It landed right on top of Issei, with its legs landing on his sides, causing him to eject spit.

 _ **KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!**_

It screeched straight in his face as it raised one of its claws to slash him.

[Now, you fool!]

(—!)

Without a second thought, Issei instinctively sent the claws of the Boosted Gear into what could be classified as the throat of the beast.

 _ **Spllgg!**_

A disgusting wet noise. Issei's claws did not pierce it, but it left some scratch marks on its smooth skin, and a dark colored blood spilled out a bit.

 ** _KIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!_**

The beast screeched in what seemed like pain and removed itself from Issei, jumping back into the trees while continuing to screech.

Issei lifted his upper body and wiped some sweat from his brow.

—He felt disgusted. After what happened back in Kuoh, he was finally able to get a good look at the foul beast from up close.

Its body was similar to a human structure, but with elongated features and almost no meat on it. And yet, whenever it took a breath, its stomach would fill up with air in a repulsive manner. Its skin was smooth and almost looked gelatinous, as if it was wet skin from an amphibian. To contrast that, it had some loose, dead skin hanging from various places. Contrary to what Issei first believed, the beast did have a mouth. It was hardly noticeable. It was a long mouth with things resembling teeth, but as if the teeth were made from just the skin of its mouth. The mouth could never open beyond a certain extent, because there were 'strings' of skin holding it mostly shut.

 ** _KIIEEEEEEEEE!_**

 _ **BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

"Wha…?"

Issei was confused by the sudden noises. He heard a screech, followed by something that sounded like slamming.

 _'..Ddraig? Do I do something?_ '

[Nothing significant.]

 _'Then what is..?'_

[I told you once before, didn't I? It is agitated. Do you hear It?]

Issei paused to listen to his surroundings. He did hear the beast screaming quite violently. Almost as if it was enraged. But more than that, he heard some thumping and cracking sounds.

 _ **KIIIEEEEEEEEEE!**_

 _ **BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

 _ **CRACK CRACK CRACK**_

 _ **KIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

 _'That noise..'_

It was breaking tree branches and slamming the ground. Like a child throwing a tantrum, the beast was infuriated.

 _ **KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

[It will surely approach you quickly, as you wanted.]

 _'...Well…. Great….'_

 _ **Rustle! Crack!**_

 _ **BAM!**_

Issei whipped his body around after hearing a large thud from behind him. The beast was sitting there.

 _ **Creak**_ …

A sound similar to wood creaking in a large house was emitted from the beast, as it slowly rose up.

The difference in size was suddenly made grossly apparent when the beast finally stood upright. The Nightwalker easily towered over Issei, with more than 2 meters to its height. Step by step, slowly approached Issei, causing him to retreat slowly.

"...Ah…. D..."

[Move, boy!]

 _ **KIIIIIIIIIEEEEE!**_

"Ah!"

The beast slashed at Issei without warning.

He dived immediately to his left in order to dodge it at the last second. But the beast continued to slash at him, again and again, prompting Issei to dodge and dive constantly from near death attacks.

 _ **Whoosh!**_

"Ah!"

 ** _Zin!_**

"Ah! Ah!"

Until finally..

 _ **Slice!**_

"Argh!"

One of the slashes ended up scratching Issei's face and leaving a long bleeding mark under his right eye.

 _'Uh oh… That'll be hard to explain…'_

Issei's back ended up coming into contact with a tree, effectively cornering him.

 _ **KIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

"Waah!"

The Nightwalker slashed at Issei's head, causing him to dive under its legs and crawl away.

 _ **KIIEE! KIEEE! KIIEEEEE!**_

 _'Wha…?'_

The moment Issei was behind the beast, he turned around and realized that the beast was struggling with something.

It was stuck. Its three pronged claw was strictly planted into the tree that it struck.

 _ **Break!**_

It forcibly ripped its claw from the tree. Issei could see the deep gash left in the trunk. The tree was severely damaged.

 _'Ddraig… How durable do you think that tree is?'_

[Hmm. The beast should most certainly have a greater chance at damaging the tree than yourself.]

 _'..Glad we're on the same page.'_

 _ **KIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

The beast screeched at Issei before lunging at him. Issei rolled out of the way and returned to the spot in front of the tree once more.

 _'This may be a terrible idea!'_

 _ **KIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

The Nightwalker then released a relentless onslaught of attacks on Issei, who could only block using his Gear.

 _ **DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN DIN!**_

He could hardly stand the impact of every attack, practically being slapped around from the intense pressure. The fact that he could still stand was probably all due to the boosts he was using. With the flurry of attacks being sent, his prior strategy does not seem like it would work out at all, at this rate.

That was until the monster lifted one of its claws high up in to the air, most likely as a charged attack meant to slice him right in half.

[There is your chance, boy! Duck!]

 _ **ZIN!**_

Issei ducked the moment the Nightwalker slashed, and once again, the beast's claw was planted into the trunk. This time, its claw was planted even further within the trunk than before. Issei crawled out from under the beast and stood behind it.

 _ **KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

The beast screeched from pure rage. It lifted its remaining left claw and furiously slashed at the tree in order to free its trapped right claw.

 _ **ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN!**_

 _'Wha_ — _?! This thing..!'_

For some reason, Issei couldn't help but smirk the moment the foul beast finally retracted its claw.

 _'I can't take another one of those slashing combos.. But it looks like I won't have to! Here goes nothing!'_

 _ **DON!**_

Issei dug his gauntlet into the dirt and brought it out with a great amount of force, effectively spreading a large dust cloud into the beast's face.

 _ **KIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

Issei then immediately made his move and dashed into the dust, and around the beast, to where the damaged spot of the tree was. He was back in his original spot.

Why? Well..

 _ **KIEEE!**_

The beast whipped its head around indicating that, despite not seeing him, could still perfectly hear him.

 _ **KIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

It brought up a claw to slash at him.

 _'YES!'_

 ** _SLICE!_**

Issei dove away from the attack and out of the beast's line of sight. It only took once glance back to realize—.

—He had won.

 _ **CRACK!**_

The trunk of the tree released a loud crack. The support of the tree was compromised.

And as a result, the tree trunk broke under the pressure of its own weight, and collapsed..

 _ **CRACK!**_

And the Nightwalker was effectively crushed by the falling tree.

 _ **KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**_ —

— _ **DOOOOOOOOON!**_

….

...

"Haah..! Hah! Haaah.."

Silence. The body of the Nightwalker under the tree did not move.

"..I did it."

[Indeed you did, partner.]

"..Hehe…"

Out of relief, or perhaps even joy, Issei laughed.

"Hehehehe… Hahahahaha..! Ahahahahahahaha!"

His loud laughter was released freely into the nights sky as he fell flat onto his back.

[Hyoudou Issei. You are an abnormal host. Never did I imagine that I would encounter a host that would defeat a Nightwalker with the body of a child.]

 _'Yeah.. I didn't think I would ever beat one either… or even meet one….'_

"Urgh.."

Issei lifted himself up from the ground with a groan.

"I actually did it…"

He slowly stepped closer to the fallen tree.

He could only look down at the smashed remains of the monster. Its limbs were still mostly intact, thanks to being so long and spread out, but its main body was completely crushed into some black ink esque liquid. The remains reeked of a familiar "human" smell. Human insides at least. Whether this thing ate people or not is something Issei doesn't know, and does not want to know.

Part of Issei wonders if this beast is the same one from the last time….

 _'Ddraig… Do you know if this is the same one from before?'_

[I do not. Unfortunately, I was awakened a tad too late to recognize any unique features on the Nightwalker fleeing from your first encounter. Not to mention that the Nightwalker beasts do not necessarily possess any specific aura of their own to identify. Though, if I was to be entirely honest with you, I do believe this may be the one.]

 _'I see…'_

…Issei continued to stare down at the beast's remains, silently. His eyes slowly wandered over to the three fingered claw sticking out from under the trunk.

….

—The memory of a woman's severed head being squeezed in between three, large, black claws. Her hollow eyes were ever so slightly open, and her mouth was left agape. She must have died instantly.

….

 _ **SPLAT!**_

Issei's shoe landed on the claw and crushed one of its talons.

* * *

 **12 AM**

Issei had finally returned home after over an hour walk from the forest he was in. It was incredibly difficult to find his way home from a place he's only been to once, especially in the dead of night.

Once he reached his home, he quickly and quietly entered through the back entrance he left unlocked, and made his way upstairs.

His body felt heavy after his boosts reset halfway through walking home. He felt like he would collapse soon. Making his way up the stairs was also an arduous task, considering that his heavy body was difficult to tiptoe with, as to avoid making noise.

Issei washed his face a bit in the restroom, aside from some of the blood left by the slash on his face. If he washed it, it would become obvious that he obtained it when he was awake late at night and he was perfectly aware of it. He needed to make it look like an accident, and one that he wasn't aware of. How he will do this, he still doesn't know.

After he cleaned himself off a bit, Issei snuck back into his bedroom silently.

"Huu.."

The moment he entered his room, he froze momentarily. He heard a soft breathing, only to notice the little body lying in his bed.

That's right, Maki was sleeping with him tonight. It was her birthday today after all. She was allowed to sleep with him without objection from anyone.

Issei snuck past the bed and opened the closet slowly. He quickly changed out of his dirty clothes and into a normal shirt and shorts. After he was done, he approached the sleeping beauty on his bed and smiled sweetly at her.

"Huuuu… Nii-Nii…"

He couldn't help but stifle a giggle in response to her sleep-talking. He truly loved his adorable little cousin..

..Unfortunately, his smile did not last long.

Due to the previous event, he was soon reminded of the resemblance between the orphaned girl he saved, and his new lovely family member. Along with that face, came the memories of the girl's deceased mother. He had finally killed the monster responsible for that girl's family's demise.

..But the girl will never know. Even if she knew, would something like that make her feel better? Her family was killed by a monster she didn't even know existed, and now that monster was dead as well, so be happy?... Be happy that the monster who tore her family apart and possibly ate them right before her eyes is now dead..?

….

They were the same, Issei and that girl. They were both young orphans. Just normal, brown haired children with no family, left alone in an empty house, covered in blood…

..Was a beast like that the same one that killed his parents? Did his parents die in a similar way? He doesn't remember much from the funeral…. His parents coffins were empty, he knew that much…. There were practically no remains left of them….

His chest suddenly tightened.

...

...

 _..Did they get eaten..?_

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Issei's knelt down to the side of the bed and spawned his gauntlet for a brief moment.

 _ **Crack!**_

He used it to break off a piece of the bed, exposing some of the wood underneath. Maki stirred in her sleep, but stopped when Issei caressed her head. She was a very heavy sleeper.

He reached over Maki's head and grabbed the pillow beside her. He picked it up and began to walk out of the room. For some reason, he had decided to step out for a minute...

 _ **Dakun**_...

He exited the room and made his way quietly down the stairs. He walked over to the entrance of the living area, and slid open the slider door. He stepped into the empty, dark living room.

 _ **Pomf!**_

He approached the couch and dropped onto it with the pillow stuck to his face. It muffled his breathing…

And what was surely soon to follow…

….

 _(_ _"Hey, honey! Put that stupid newspaper down and eat your breakfast already! At this rate, it'll get cold before I even finish making your coffee!")_

 _("No, no, no, dear. A man should never eat his breakfast without his coffee. If anything, I should be drinking my coffee before I eat my breakfast.")_

 _("But I'm not drinking coffee, Tou-san!")_

 _("Of course not, Issei. You are a boy, not a man. You aren't old enough to be a man yet.")_

 _("Yes, Ise. It's just as your father says. You are not a man. Boys are innocent and lovely, while men are idiots and perverts.")_

—Issei silently lost himself in the memories of his peaceful past...

And though his hands felt weak, his grip on the pillow tightened.

 _("Ara, Kaa-san, are you implying that Issei will grow up to be an idiot?")_

 _("Of course not. My baby Issei is a smart, wonderful, young boy. His father, however, is a perverted dummy who's more in love with coffee than food. And I do not doubt that this father of his would influence him with his foolish and perverted ideas.")_

 _("Ha! You hear that, Issei? Your mother thinks I'll turn you into a pervert. Don't even worry about that. Trust me, my boy, I will personally make sure you will be able to fulfill the dreams I could not!")_

 _("Oh no, don't tell me you're still going on about that 'Harem King' business even today?")_

 _("I will succeed! Even if it is through my own son! His victory is my victory! And he will capture the hearts of every woman he desires!")_

 _("But I don't care about other girls. The only girl I like is mama!")_

 _("Ara, Ma~! Do you hear that, honey? It looks like you have some serious competition~!")_

 _("Wha_ — _?! No! My own son?! Something like this_ — _! Even his own mother! Has my own child surpassed my knowledge of the Harem dream?! I can't believe It! I won't lose! I cannot lose! Not to my own son!")_

 _("Hahahahahaha~! Oh don't you worry about him, Ise. Your father gets like that sometimes. Try not to be like him, okay?")_

 _("But I wanna be just like Tou-san when I grow up! I want to marry a girl just like Kaa-san and have a boy just like me!")_

 _("Ahahahaha! That's my boy! Ah, but you can't have your real mother, alright? Seriously, Otou-san will cry if he can't even keep his wife so please spare me.")_

 _("Oh hush, you! It doesn't matter who it is Ise grows up to be like or who he meets. He will always be a wonderful boy and I'm sure he will meet a lovely young girl who wants to marry him. He will do great things and become a great man_ — _)_

 _ **(**_ — ** _"And he will always be our little boy.")_**

.

.

.

.

.

.

"..WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

—Issei's overwhelming screams of sorrow were muffled into the pillow, and lost to the night, never to be heard by anyone.

* * *

 **Morning**

 _ **Knock, Knock!**_

"Ise-kun, Maki-chan! Time for breakfast!"

 ** _Dakun_**.

Akane opened the door to Issei's bedroom where the two children were sleeping. The first to awake was the messy haired Maki.

"..Mm.. Mama..?"

"Morning, dear~ Ise-kun, are you awa.."

Akane walked over to them with a smile, until Issei lifted himself up from next to Maki.

—He had a long scratch resting under his right eye, with some dried up blood smears on it.

(—!)

"Oh my! Ise-kun, what happened..?! Are you okay?! When did you get this?! Does it hurt?! Oh lord! Honeeeey! Get in here!"

In only a few seconds, Satoshi came running in after his wife's call.

"What..?! What is it?!"

"Look! Look at Ise-kun's face!"

"Unbelievable! What happened, Issei-kun?!"

"Um... I fell and hit my face on the side of the bed last night, but I didn't think anything happened, so I just went to sleep. I guess I didn't feel it a lot hehe…"

Issei faked a nervous smile and rubbed his neck. This was his lie strategy.

"Oh dear! Look at this!"

Akane pointed down towards to the side of the bed, where a broken piece of wood was being displayed prominently.

"Ise-kun! Did this break when you fell on it?!"

"N-No, that was like that already... I think I just fell on it.."

Satoshi knelt down to look at the broken part of the bed. The wood piece that was torn off was nowhere to be seen on the floor, meaning that this section was already broken before Issei hit himself. ( _Supposedly_.)

"Hmm.. Well, Issei-kun certainly isn't lying. There is a bit of blood on this right here. If it had broken off when he hit it, then there would still be a missing piece lying around somewhere, and there would be no blood stain smear on the wood contained inside. The blood would rather be on the broken piece, which is nowhere to be seen . And judging by the fact that there is some blood smears on his pillow and face, Issei-kun must have really just slept on it. The only odd thing is that Issei-kun was sleeping on the opposite side of the bed… But maybe he just moved spots after he fell."

Issei was glad he thought through the strategy behind his wound.

Satoshi was no fool. In fact, he was more like a genius. He's also glad that he smeared blood where he could that would make sense. Though, the pillow was more chance than anything.

"..Well, can you fix it, dear? I don't want Maki or Ise-kun to accidentally hurt themselves again."

"Hm? Oh, yes. Don't worry, I'll do something about it. How odd. I swear this bed has always been in perfect condition. Even when we moved it in, I was sure that it didn't get hit anywhere... Hmm.. Oh well. Both of you, keep your distance from the edge of the bed, ya hear?"

The children both nodded their heads.

"Okay, come on, you two. Ise-kun, let's wash your face, and both of your hands so we can eat some breakfast. Hurry along now, Satoshi has to get to work and take Ise-kun to his new school."

Upon realizing what day it was, Issei thought grimly to himself .

 _'Oh, right. So that was today huh... Maybe I shouldn't have gone out yesterday. My shoulders hurt a lot…. And everything else too..'_

* * *

 **One hour later…**

"Nooooo! Nii-Nii!"

"Oh, I know, honey, but Onii-chan has to go school now. Come now, you can play with him when he gets home, right?"

"Noooo! I don't want Nii-Nii to go! I don't want it!"

The little Maki was crying in her mother's arms at the doorway of the household, while Issei walked alongside Satoshi to the car.

It was time for Issei to leave for school after all, much to Maki's dismay.

"I'll be back, Maki-chan! Be a good girl till then!"

"Wuaaaaaah! Nii-Niiiii!"

"Be safe, you two!"

"Yes, we know. We'll be back soon."

Satoshi and Issei entered the car and drove off while waving at the girls standing at the door.

….

Issei and Satoshi sat in the car quietly as they drove to Issei's new school. Satoshi was not a very talkative person, it's part of the reason why his cousin was more popular amongst people than he was. And Issei was that man's child. He was just as talkative and playful as his father. So their compatibility in terms of personality is not very high, despite their relationship being fairly good.

Nevertheless, Satoshi decided to break the silence.

"Are you nervous about being at your new school, Issei-kun?"

"Eh?— Ah!"

Issei shook away his slight tiredness and focused on his uncle.

"A-Ah, sorry. Um, no, not really. I don't really have anything to be nervous about."

"Huh? You're not worried about being in a new school with new people?"

"Hm? No, why would I be?"

"Well… You'll be in an entirely new environment with people you don't recognize all around you. You're not worried about what they'd say or think?"

"No. If they're all people I don't know, then there's no reason to be nervous about what they think since I don't know them."

"Is...that so?.."

"Yeah."

For some reason, this caused Satoshi to smirk.

"Heh... You're just like your father."

"Eh? R-Really?"

"Yeah. Your attitude towards people is just like his. Even if they think or say something about you that isn't true or nice, you don't care. You can just be yourself and make friends through your own charisma. In the end, you become popular whether people like it or not. Even if he is annoying sometimes, hehe. I always envied that part of him….."

Issei couldn't help but look down at his hands and smile.

So that's what his uncle thought of him. It might seem odd to the average person, but Issei was happy being perceived as an extension of his father. It was something that made him feel proud. Hopefully, there were parts of him that resembled his mother as well.

"You also have your mother's eyes. Maybe most of her facial features in general. Thank goodness, to be honest. No offense, but your father wasn't as handsome as his wife was pretty, hahahaha!"

As if to answer Issei's wishes, his uncle told him exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Thanks, Oji-san…"

"No problem."

Once again, the silence between them returned, but this time, it was a bit more pleasant. Issei rested his chin on his palm and gazed out the window. He lost himself in his thoughts.

The drive was quiet and it seemed like the world was passing him by quickly. Every minute, they passed a place he didn't recognize. It really was an entirely new place, just like his uncle said. Nagoya was a place he never explored. Kuoh technically resided on the outskirts of Nagoya, but it was quite detached from most places. It was like the small town version of big towns. Issei never knew any place outside of it. Even his grandparents, who lived in Kyoto, came to visit _him_ , so he never got to leave Kuoh.

 _'I suppose….this is my new home…'_

Issei was lost in contemplation until something substantial caught his eye.

A martial arts dojo.

(—!)

Issei jumped up excitedly and bumped his head on the hood of the car.

"Uoooooooohhh— _**Bam!**_ —Ow!"

"Ah! Oy, Oy, what's wrong, Issei-kun?"

Issei didn't even think to rub his head as he answered his uncle with enthusiasm.

"Oji-san! I just had a great idea!"

"Hm? What's that?"

"I want to do Martial arts!"

"Huh? Martial arts?"

That's right. The thing that took Issei's attention was none other than a Martial arts building. Judo, to be specific.

"You want to take Martial arts classes?"

"Yeah! Can I, please!"

Satoshi smiled unexpectedly. He was glad that Issei was taking interest in something like this. It meant that Issei was truly recovering, even if only by a bit.

"Of course you can."

"Yes, yes! Thank you, Oji-san!"

"Hahaha! You better not join and give up the moment somebody beats you though! The Hyoudou's weren't quitters, ya hear?"

"Yeah!"

 _'Yes! I found it! Ddraig, I found our solution!'_

[Is that so? I certainly am glad to hear that, partner. It seems you will have the opportunity to become stronger after all.]

Issei smirked and gained a determined look in his eyes.

 _'Mum... Dad… Wait for me…. I'll make this right… I'll get justice for both of you. No matter how long it takes.'_

* * *

 **End**

 **Alright there we are! Finally man! I'm mad at myself. It took too long to get this one out and got in the way of my other releases. Sorry about the long wait guys. Turns out it's harder to write something completely original. GO FIGURE AMIRITE. Anyway, I'm very glad to announce that this story really gained popularity in only the first 2 chapters that came out. 100+ followers and 80+ favorites. Hell yeah boys! Hopefully those numbers will increase with this chapter.**

 **So we got more development for Issei (trust me he's not fully developed yet that's obviously not how storytelling works) and also a bit of character insight with Satoshi as well. And probably the most sad opening to a chapter I've written. Rip Hyoudou parents. Well, there will be more sadness to come in the future so be ready for that Lmao. Also, yep, Judo. Issei will be training in martial arts. But he'll be doing more than just Judo. Everyone has to start somewhere. Also, Rip Nightwalker fuck. You will be missed.**

 **Anyway, I also asked you guys whether I should do time skips or not, but truthfully I already knew what I was going to do regardless. And I am glad to say that many of you, if not most of you, agreed with me. Most of you agreed with my decision to do [minor time skips]. In other words, yes there will be time skips. But there will NOT be major time skips. I'm not skipping anything 5 years or above and DEFINITELY not time skipping straight to his Kuoh return/high school era. So yeah. That's how that's gonna go. Maki-chan is still my favorite character I've ever written.**

 **Anyway, this chapter was made longer to compensate for the wait time. RD of stupidity has been updated and RD of Golden Light will soon follow. Aaaaaand just like that I've dated this chapter lol. No matter. Ignore that if your from the future. Like a month in the future or something. Who cares.**

 **Tell me guys what you thought and what exactly you want or expect to see coming.**

 **Can't wait to see some stupid fucks try and defend their shit taste in stories.**

 **Read, Rate, Review, go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Stray

**Alright! We are back! Sorry for the long fucking wait. As I stated in Red Dragon of stupidity, the latest chapter of Red Dragon Of Golden Light took fucking FOREVER to write. Ended up being the longest chapter ever at 21,000+ words holy fuck. Yeah, so finished it up, shouldn't get that bad again.**

 **Let's get into this one. Minor timeskip as I said, nothing big tho. Going into a little bit of a mini arc here. Original of course. Alright then, let's get it. 160+ followers and 125+ favorites going strong.**

 **P.S. you may want to look up Gaku Yashiro, the main antagonist of Erased, in case you want an appearance for reference (you'll see).**

* * *

 **SCENE**

"Ough!"

—In a certain Dojo, a young, brown haired boy, for lack of a better phrase, was just "knocked onto his ass".

"Ugh…"

Hyoudou Issei was lying on his back with his legs in the air, flipped over his head. He groaned as he realized that this meant he had lost.

"Not bad, my boy. Keep it up and you'll be 5th Kyu in no time at all."

Above the boy, stood a man with dark-brown hair and a goatee. Both the man and Issei were wearing similar "gi", but with different colored belts.

"Uuu… Thanks, shishou (master)... That sure makes me feel a lot better."

"Hahahaha! Sorry about that! Alright, come on up."

The man extended his hand for Issei to pick himself up on. Issei only stared at the man's arm with an unamused expression. He was practically flipped upside down after all. The hand wasn't going to help much.

The man, his martial arts master, sweatdropped.

"Ehehehe… I suppose you'd have to fix your posture first, huh…."

 _ **Thud!**_

Issei's legs dropped from the air and he was finally lying down normally. He lifted his upper body up, and his master's hand appeared before him again. This time, Issei took the hand to lift himself up.

—The boy who stood up was a now 8 year old Hyoudou Issei.

In the background of the Dojo, was an entire class of martial artists training together. They were a class of young children.

"As I thought, Issei, among all of my young Kyu juniors & seniors, you are most definitely the proficient student. Maybe even…the strongest? Hahaha, sorry. Sometimes it just seems like you get stronger out of nowhere, for some reason."

"..H-Hehehe… Nah, that's crazy.."

Issei couldn't help but laugh awkwardly while averting his gaze.

"Well, my point is that you've been progressing very well. I'm sure you'll reach blue belt soon. Who knows, you may even reach brown belt before next year! Hahahahaha!"

Issei's master proudly laughed out all of the air in his lungs. This man really loved bragging about his students' successes. Most especially when it came to his children students, who always happened to be harder to instruct.

But he was right. Issei was a prodigy. His prowess was something that could rival a full grown adult. The reason why was obvious to no one but Issei himself.

—2 years. It has been 2 years since the incident in Kuoh, and since Issei moved to Nagoya with his cousins. Issei is currently 8 years old, with his birthday being a few months off, to age 9 in the summer. Just short 5 months off of being 3 years since that day.

Issei was a natural when it came to his training. A true prodigy. Or at the very least, it seemed that way to his instructor and peers. None of his young peers could properly defeat him, unless they were experienced enough, amongst those being teenage students. And even then, somehow, Issei seemed stronger than them, at times. As if he would "randomly" receive a strength buff during certain practices... His natural, base strength was above average. As good as a young child could be, most would assume. But sometimes, it was unreal.

Issei had defeated some adults before. Many had just assumed that those adults threw the matches, but many of those beaten would argue about it, in disbelief about what happened. They were usually laughed off by others, who were convinced they didn't take it seriously. Either way, it couldn't be denied that Issei's growth as a student was spectacular for Kiritsugu, his master, and his dojo. Kiritsugu didn't have a great abundance of students, maybe 100 in total? But thanks to students like Issei, as long as he trains them properly, he can earn merits and recognition for their achievements as martial artists, including events like tournaments. And eventually, it should bring in many newcomers.

After all, it does sound great for "the youngest martial artist to earn 4th Kyu in Judo" graduated from 'Kiritsugu Academy'. For such a small name place like his to become recognized throughout Aichi, that would be his dream. He hopes with every fiber of his being that Issei devotes himself to becoming a professional martial artist. Maybe even an instructor.

But, inside, Issei has very different plans.

"Nii-Nii!"

Standing at the entrance of the Dojo, was a young girl with short brown hair and a bright smile, waving to Issei with both of her arms in a frantic manner. Her mother stood beside her, smiling apologetically.

"Ah, looks like your family came to pick you up. I was hoping you'd stay a bit longer to help out with the junior Kyu."

"Sorry, shishou. I'll try to help out next week."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't go doing anything crazy over the weekend that'll put you out of commission when you come back."

"Yes, shishou."

"Alright, off you go."

Issei bowed to his master, who returned the bow, and ran off to his family. He was immediately embraced by his younger cousin, Maki, when reaching them.

"Nii-Nii!"

"Hey, you gu— oof!"

From beside the two children, Issei's aunt, Akane, handed him his shoes.

"Here are your shoes, Ise-kun."

"Ah, thanks, Obaa-san."

"Yaaay~ Nii-Nii, Nii-Nii~ — _ **cough-cough**_.."

Issei took the shoes while Maki, who was latched to him, sang his name and coughed a bit. Despite her coughing, her grip around Issei only increased.

"Now, now, Maki. You can play with him once we get home, so at least let him walk properly."

"Ugh… It's too late, Obaa-san... My neck is being crushed…"

* * *

 **Part 1**

 _ **DIN-DUN-DIN DUN~**_

Within a certain school, a trio of boys were gathering their supplies from their desks and preparing to leave class.

"Neh, did you guys watch Gundam last night?!"

"Mm. Not me. My mom took us to my Oji-san's house yesterday. It was so boring~"

"Heeeh? Really? That sucks. What about you, Issei?"

"Hmm?"

The third boy, Issei, was lost in thought. He was being called out to by two young boys walking beside him. One with black hair and one with coffee colored hair. It was time for them to go home from school, and they were walking back together, as per usual. But Issei had been thinking about his training up until the point his two classmates snapped him out of it.

"Ah, no, I didn't get to watch it. Sorry. Maki-chan ended up taking up my time over the weekend. She always likes to play stuff instead of watch stuff."

"Maki-chan? Oh, is that the Imouto of yours? She's the one from the family visitation day. She was really loud."

"Yeah she yelled a lot and kind of scared me."

"Well, that's different Narutobi, you're just a wuss."

"Uuu…"

While Issei's black haired friend was mocking his coffee haired friend, Issei was already removed from the conversation between them. He only got the chance to answer once and now they were moving on to different subjects. He merely sighed as the two continued their conversation in the background. They were approaching the school's exit/entrance.

"Leave me alone, Gudo….."

"I'm serious! You need to get some meat on your bones! You're really scrawny and you're gonna get picked on really easy in middle school like this. Hey, Issei. You go to a Dojo, right? Take this guy with you! He's too passive! He'll never get a girlfriend in High school!"

"Stop it…"

"I'm serious, man! You're gonna die alone at this rate!"

"..Why do you keep talking about so far in the future?"

Before Issei could even respond, the trio reached the gates.

Time moved in slow motion as they exited.

—Because at that moment, Issei felt a sharp chill run down his spine.

 _ **CHILLS..!**_

 **[—?!]**

—Issei froze midstep. Time moved by the millisecond. He felt an eerily familiar sense nearby - and a sharp gaze.

 _'Ddraig… This feeling is…'_

[I was a fool not to notice it before, partner. One of 'them' is nearby.]

Issei's head slowly creaked to the right of the school's entrance. Running down the wall, past the entrance, at the very corner of the street behind said wall, peeking from around its corner.. There was a man standing there, silently. A man in a black suit with a red tie and a black fedora.

This man— was no man. He was..

[—A Devil.]

Glowing, red eyes... Before Issei and his gaze met—

[—Fool! Do not meet his gaze, look away from him!]

Issei whipped his head down to the ground, eyes stretched widely, only to stare down at the concrete below.

"Hm? Hey, Issei, what's up?"

"Hyoudou-kun?"

Issei's two friends called out to him, but he did not answer them. He could not hear them. Their words came to him slowly and silently, lost to nothingness.

 _'...Ddraig…. What do I do?...'_

[Calm down, partner. From what it looks like, it does not seem he has noticed us… He must have caught sight of you and quickly lost interest. He does not know of me.]

 _'...What is he doing..?'_

[I do not know. Unless you see him, I will not be able to either.]

Issei slowly moved his eyes to their corners. He caught sight of the man's body. Rather than directly looking towards the man's face, he merely focused on the red tie on his suit as to not attract his gaze.

 _'...Can you tell what he is doing?...'_

[Yes, I am able to comprehend it through your peripherals. He is not making any significant movements. He is simply standing there silently. But his eyes are moving from child to child.]

—He was "scanning".

 _'...Who is he looking at?..'_

[..Left. Right. Ahead. Left. Left. He is showing no pattern. He is merely observing the children who exit this place. One by one.]

Issei's human instincts began to influence his actions unconsciously. His eyes felt compelled to move slowly upwards, from the man's red tie to his neck. Up, further up his body. Slowly. Until—.

[...!—Partner!]

He slowly shifted his gaze to the face of the man. And-.

 _He was staring right back at him._

 **[—?!]**

"—Hey, Issei?"

Before his fear and shock could settle in any further, the face of his black haired friend, Gudo, blocked his view of the man.

"Wha..?!"

"Is something up with you, Issei?"

Issei peeked behind behind his friend's body to see that... the man was gone.

"Heeellooo~? Hmm... Maybe he's dead?"

"W-What..?"

"Oh, he said something."

Issei shook off his stiffness and smiled at his friend, nervously.

"A-Ahahaha... Sorry... I k-kinda spaced out there. Didn't get much sleep yesterday. Spent too much time training, hehe..."

"Ah! You see, Narutobi! He gets it! Come on, Narutobi! You're the only one who doesn't do anything manly! At least I play soccer! So join a sport or martial art or something!"

"Eeeeh…. That costs money... I can't be wasting it like that…."

"No, no, don't worry about it! We'll just have Issei teach you those things for free! Issei, take this guy to your house. Beat him up a little bit and show him how it's done!"

"Hiiiiiii! P-Please don't do that!"

Issei only laughed awkwardly at his friends' interactions. The trio continued their walk while talking. Though, Issei didn't listen to a word of it. It was all white noise to him.

He looked back to the empty corner that the man, the Devil, occupied before.

 _'...A Devil…..'_

* * *

The week began to run its course, but for Issei, there was one recurring dilemma.

The man was there, again. And again. And again. Everyday. He was there, everyday. The same place, the same time.

Everyday he'd stand there and do nothing, but watch. Eyes moving from place to place. Red eyes that would glow sharply in the darkness, but were drowned out by the sunlight. But Issei could see it. Under the shadow of his fedora, his eyes would ever so slightly shimmer.

Issei didn't know what to do. That Devil was far above his own level. He could feel it. He could tell. Even if he has the ability to boost up to 5 times at this point, the Devil's power was still far above.

Even if Issei could do something about it, should he? Does it have anything to do with him? Could he ignore something like this? Would this ever become a threat to him or his own family? Or could he just forget about it? Should he just forget about it?

..What if some children happened to disappear? Would that be something he could ignore?...

...

"Nii-Nii! Say Aaaaaah~"

"Eh?"

Issei was suddenly snapped out of his deep thoughts and remembered where he was.

He was at home. He was sitting in the Kotatsu with his family, in the living area, eating dinner. Next to him, on his right, was his younger cousin, Maki. She was trying to feed him some of the dessert made by her mother. The children were sitting with the TV behind them, meanwhile, the parents were sitting across from them, facing the TV.

"Hey, Maki! You shouldn't be trying to feed Ise-kun such things. You know he has a proper diet set for his physical training. He takes his martial arts very seriously."

Akane scolded her daughter for trying feed Issei some dessert.

Issei's dinner was different from the rest of his family's, and specific to his own dietary regimen. Someone at his young of an age doesn't necessarily require a regimen as much as an adult would, but his shishou suggested it would help bring him up to peak performance. That was all the reason he needed.

"Nom!"

Issei quickly nabbed the dessert from Maki's utensil with his mouth and ate it.

"It's okay every once in a while, Obaa-san."

His aunt sighed at his response while Maki brightened the room with her smile.

"Yaaay~! Hehehe!"

"Geez, Ise-kun. You really spoil her too much. If you keep treating her like that, soon enough she'll just start expecting things from you and become a bad girly."

Akane criticized Issei's attitude towards her daughter with her arms crossed. Issei just smiled while patting Maki's head.

"Nah, Maki-chan is a good girl. She'll always be a good girl. I know it."

"Ehehehe, Nii-Nii~"

Maki giggled and purred like a kitten at Issei's touch. Akane could only sigh and slump her shoulders at her own futile attempt to give advice.

For a child, Issei was quite independent, and it made Akane feel less competent sometimes. Many times, she would gain a small cloud over her head and sat sadly while twiddling her fingers, due to her advice was proven to be unnecessary. Her husband, Satoshi, couldn't help but laugh from beside her.

"Hahahaha, Issei-kun really knows how to shut you down sometimes, huh, honey—"

Akane was glaring at him sharply.

"Ah, no... Sorry…. I was wrong…"

"Hehehehe~ Papa looks like he wants to run away~"

"Y-You shouldn't make fun of Oji-san, Maki-chan…. Obaa-san.. Um, your mommy is scary…"

—Issei's daily life was happy. It was a 'good' life. Almost everyday was like this one. His life had finally become something for him to appreciate. He wondered how long it would stay that way.

But Issei's thoughts were suddenly halted and his body stiffened. From the television behind him, Issei's ears had caught onto something which made him feel chills through his entire being.

 _ **[...until next month. In other news, as of recently, there has been a growing number of disappearances in the Aichi prefecture. The latest disappearance was reported just yesterday in Nagoya. A young boy named Satoru Inoue, aged 9, reportedly never returned from his school of Hokusai Elementary. Authorities have been made aware of a pattern to what is suspected to be a serial kidnapper**_ — _ **.]**_

 **[—?!]**

The utensil in Issei's hand fell to the floor.

..Hokusai Elementary. That was his school. What he feared most had become reality. The questions he had just asked before, were now worthless. Because now, they were things he didn't need to ask. It was too late.

 _Was this his fault?_

….

...

"..Nii-Nii?"

Issei flinched. He realized that he was staring down at the table with wide eyes, and sweat sliding down his temple.

Finally, his breathing returned. He swallowed the saliva stuck in his throat and slowly lifted his head. His family was looking at him with worry.

Satoshi gained a serious expression while looking at Issei.

"Would you like to skip school for now, Issei-kun?..."

"E-Eh?"

Issei still was not fully drawn from his shock. He shook his head to rid himself of his fear.

"A-Ah… No, it's okay… I'm okay… Sorry."

Akane became even more worried at Issei's hesitant response.

"Maybe…I should pick you up personally with Maki after school..?"

Akane made that suggestion out of a concern for Issei's safety, but Issei adamantly denied, due to the fear of having them encounter the Devil as well.

"Wha..? NO!— I-I mean, no... Um, it's okay, Obaa-san. I'll be fine. I always walk home with my friends anyway."

"But even so…"

Maki gripped on Issei's arm tightly with an expression of deep concern.

"Nii-Nii….."

Issei just rubbed her head softly.

"It's okay, Maki-chan. Nobody's gonna take me anywhere."

The worry on her face didn't fade. Satoshi inhaled a bit, as if preparing to say something.

"Hmm... Issei-kun is right, I suppose. Considering that a child has already gone missing, I imagine that the police would have officers covering school grounds during and after school. Plus, ideally, a serial kidnapper like that wouldn't want to strike in the same place twice. The fact that he's been doing it in different places within the Aichi prefecture is proof of that. Even more than that, it shows his lack of foresight, and possibly his impulsiveness, that he still hasn't made his way _out_ of the Aichi prefecture to anywhere like Saitama or Kyoto yet. I'm sure he'll be caught soon."

Again, Issei was reminded of Satoshi's intelligence. Satoshi truly had enough of a skill in deduction to be a detective, but instead, he became a type of financial adviser.

Regardless, he really makes it hard to keep secrets. Issei suspects that if it wasn't for the fact that the idea was so unbelievable, then Satoshi would have already figured out Issei was a Sacred Gear user. However, unlike Satoshi, Issei did not suspect that the "kidnapper" would be caught soon at all.

"Y-Yeah, see? Oji-san is right. There's nothing to worry about. I'm not gonna skip school or dojo or anything. Besides…. I..actually planned to go to a friend's house tomorrow, after school."

The family's concern then immediately increased at that declaration.

It was a lie. Issei just needed to make up an excuse in case something happened. Satoshi contemplated Issei's sudden announcement for a bit.

"Hmm... What bad timing…. You can't go there another time?"

"I don't know.. I can go either tomorrow or the day after. Narutobi hasn't decided when yet."

"Hmm.."

Satoshi took a second to think a bit more. After a short while, he nodded his head.

"Alright… As long as you make sure that you head there accompanied by your friends, and not alone. Is that friend's house nearby the school?"

"Yeah, it's really really close. Way closer than our house."

"Hmm... Alright, good. Then as long as you all head there together, that should be fine. Akane, give Issei-kun your mobile phone for next couple days. Issei-kun, we'll have you call me when your friend decides what day and when you reach his house as well. And call the home phone right after arriving, to tell your aunt. Understand?"

"Yeah…"

Issei couldn't help but feel a bit taken aback by Satoshi's attention to detail. He was making things quite difficult for Issei.

Unable to fully comprehend the dynamics of such a complicated conversation, Maki pouted and simply stated her feelings.

"I want to go to school with Nii-Nii…"

Issei smiled at her statement.

"Don't worry, Maki-chan. Once you recover from your sickness, you can stop being homeschooled and go with me."

Maki had been diagnosed with walking Pneumonia a few months ago. She has been recovering slowly, but for the time being, she has been homeschooled.

"Uuuu…"

 _'Hehehe. She's even cute when she pouts.'_

[Partner. What are you planning? Surely you can't plan on facing him.]

 _'...I don't know, Ddraig…. I'm not planning anything yet…. I just…need to make sure he's not there… At least this week…. Hopefully, he won't come back...'_

* * *

 **Part 2**

 _ **2 days later**_

In Hokusai Elementary:

"...And so the Shogun decided that—."

 _ **DIN-DUN-DIN~**_

"Ah, there's the bell."

"Rise! Bow!"

After the students of Issei's class bowed, they began to gather their things and prepared to leave. The sensei gave them an announcement as they packed.

"Alright, everyone. Make sure you go in groups of three or more when walking home together. Nobody goes alone. If somebody is alone, then make sure to walk with them or bring them into your group. If you're walking home in a pair, then try to look for more people to walk with, even if you don't know them. Three or more people, okay?"

" " " " " "Okay~" " " " " "

As Issei was gathering his things, his two friends approached him along with another boy.

"Hey, Issei, this guy doesn't have anybody to walk home with so we're bringing him along."

"Mm. Yeah, of course."

The group of boys made their way out of the school quickly after acquiring a new group member.

Issei wasn't as on edge as he was the day before. Luckily, the man wasn't anywhere around yesterday, but he still felt like he was being watched. There were cops around the school, just like Satoshi predicted. All of the students were heading home in groups and only separated when they were near their homes. Everything was looking good, so far.

As the boys approached the exit, Issei began to feel tense again.

 _'Ddraig…. Do you think he's there today?..'_

[I do not know, partner.]

 _'What do you mean? You can't sense him?'_

[I'm afraid not.]

 _'Why not? You could sense things from really far, a long time ago.'_

[That was the very first activation of the Gear. Our connection may have been weak, but as long as I used all of my focus to concentrate on your surroundings rather than yourself, I had a large range. However, that only worked because, at your first activation, you received an automatic, but temporary, boost in stamina and instinct. I took advantage of that and focused on sensing that which was around you for many, many meters. That isn't possible now. At least, not to the extent it was. The range is much more limited. Though, at this range, it technically should be more than possible.]

 _'..Wait, but you said you couldn't sense him.'_

[Indeed, I cannot.]

 _'Then what are you…?'_

[Foolish boy. You still need to improve your instincts. Do you not understand what I am saying?— I cannot sense him. That does not mean he is not there.]

 _'...Uh oh…'_

Issei's group finally reached the exit. His eyes immediately moved towards the spot the man was standing at days ago. The spot he wasn't in yesterday.

And—

— _There he was. Staring right back at Issei._

 **[—?!]**

 _'Wha_ — _?! He's here?!'_

Issei's eyes darted over to the couple of police officers stationed by their vehicle, looking over the school.

 _'They don't notice that suspicious character?!'_

[As I thought.. He is eliminating his presence. A simple trick for a Devil. Especially when used against mere humans. So long as they are submitted to their own thoughts, he is practically non-existent to them.]

Issei realized Ddraig's point. The officers were only observing the children who exited from the entrance. All of the students heading home were just walking in groups and conversing with each other casually. Many groups passed right by the man without a second thought; without noticing.

 _'So that's how it is!'_

Issei looked back to the man, but he was not looking back. The man was scanning the students again. Until his eyes were caught onto a certain group. He stared at them for a few seconds. Then, out of nowhere, one of the boys from the group the man was staring at suddenly stopped. The man's eyes glowed a red light for a split second, and the random boy's soon imitated it.

"Sorry, guys. I forgot I have to go to my cousin's house today. I'll head off with that group over there."

The boy spoke in a monotone voice to his friends. They seem confused, but said their goodbyes as the boy headed off to another group.

 _'Wha..?! Ddraig, did he just do something to that other kid?!'_

[Most likely. I am impressed. He did not need to initiate eye contact or speak to him for it to work.]

The seemingly hypnotized boy introduced himself to a different group of children and they walked together with him, off to an entirely different direction. As soon as the group of children crossed the street, the man took a step forward.

 _'Is he gonna follow them?!'_

The man began walking forward in what seemed like slow motion to Issei. His step was heavy and loud, and in Issei's mind, he could hear the news report from the other day playing repeatedly.

 _(["..A young boy named Satoru Inoue, aged 9, reportedly never returned from his school of Hokusai Elementary…"])_

...

...

 _ **Step!**_

"What the—?! Hey, Issei, where are you going?!"

"Sorry, guys! I forgot today I was going to meet my family at my grandparent's house so I'm gonna walk with that group over there! Go on without me!"

"What the heck, man! At least say something earlier!"

"Sorry!"

Issei ran off after the man, following the group of children and the Devil himself.

 _'I can't actually join their group. I have to follow him discreetly and see what he does.'_

[What exactly do you intend on doing, partner?]

To his partner's question, Issei had no concrete answer.

 _'...I don't know…'_

—Issei followed the man with a considerable distance between him. Just as Issei suspected, the boy was under some sort of "mind control", and the Devil was following him. The hypnotized boy walked with his group in a soulless manner.

After some time, they all reached the suburban areas. The children began to separate, one by one, since they're houses were right in front of them, or close by. Soon enough, it was just two children left.

"Oh, there's my house! Where's your house at?"

"Mine's right there."

"Oh, I see it! Cool! Okay, see ya later!"

"Bye."

The other boy separated from the hypnotized child, leaving him alone, finally. The man was right around the corner, and Issei was using another house across the street as cover, to view both of them.

"..."

The boy turned around lifelessly. Then, the man finally gave up on hiding himself, and he simply walked off in a certain direction. Only seconds after that, the hypnotized boy started walking in the same direction as the man. with a huge gap between the two.

 _'..He's leading him out of the house areas!'_

Issei followed the two. This time, he was following behind the hypnotized boy directly, more closely than when he did for the man. They exited the suburban areas, crossed many streets, passed many restaurants, passed a park.

Before Issei realized it, time began to pass, and pass.

 _'..What's happening? Haven't we already been to this street?.. No, I'm almost certain we have.'_

Issei was right. They had been to this street, and that one, that one, and the one after. They passed the same restaurants as well. And the same parks. The same intersections.

Issei only noticed after an entire of hour, when he had already repeated some places, twice each.

 _'Wait..! We're going in circles! Why would..?'_

10 more minutes passed. They all reached an intersection they had been to twice before, but this time, something was different.

This time, the man took a turn in the opposite direction.

 _'He finally made a different turn!? Could it be..?! Was he just going to the same places in such an odd order to throw off any possible pursuers?!'_

[Mm. It certainly does look that way.]

 _'..Damn! He's smart. There's no doubt he's gonna take us somewhere with no people..'_

Again, Issei's assumption was correct.

The man made his way through different paths, while the two boys followed.

It was almost sunset, past 4 o'clock. The days would get darker earlier at this time of year. Issei was worried about how long this would take. He already called Satoshi and Akane both to "inform" them that he was "safely at his friends house". He even asked a random young boy to say "hi" over the phone in order to convince them, to which the boy agreed, and said hi very loudly, while his mother scolded him for listening to the requests of strangers.

Nevertheless, Issei's lie persuaded his guardians, and his pursuit was successful, so far. The problem was: he didn't even have a scratch of a plan.

 _'What the_ — _?! Are you kidding?! Why?! Why does it have to be a place like that, out of all places?!'_

The man was headed straight into a forest. Not the forest that Issei would train in secretly, but a forest nonetheless.

Issei sneered at the fact that the Aichi prefecture seemed to be riddled with forests. Kuoh was surrounded by grassy mountains, so forests were basically where he lived, but the fact that the Devil was using a forest to do his deeds was an insultingly stupid coincidence to him. Though, he shouldn't be surprised. It isn't as if it was the worst place to use. It made sense. Still, its practicality didn't infuriate him any less.

The hypnotized boy then walked into the forest after the man, and the moment he vanished from Issei's sight into the trees, Issei bolted towards them.

And because of his lack of preparation, he felt panicked.

 _'No, no, no, no, no! What do I do?! Dammit!'_

Issei ran into the forest, trying to hide himself behind trees. He could see the hypnotized boy walking farther and father ahead of him, but the Devil was nowhere in sight.

 _'..Come on, come on! Where are you?! I can't get any closer if I can't see him!'_

A few minutes of the boy walking passed. Then, the boy randomly came to a stop.

 _'He stopped…. Where's the Devil?...'_

...Silence….

 _ **Crunch**_..

The sound of the crunching of leaves, coming directly from the left of the hypnotized boy. The man had finally revealed himself, emerging from the treeline. He approached the boy and stopped when he reached him. The man stood silently over the boy, and Issei's mind started racing.

 _'What is he gonna do?! What do I do?! Is it gonna happen?! Am I going to watch that boy di_ — _?!'_

Issei's body began to shake. He grit his teeth tightly. He felt like his palms would tear under the pressure of his grip.

 _'...Ddraig…. Boost…'_

[Boost!]

[What are you doing, partner?]

In order to prepare for times when stealth was necessary, Issei implemented the skill within himself to 'silently' boost his strength. He has the ability to boost without his Gear being materialized, and prevents it from making a sound when boosting. He can only do this until he reaches his limit of 5 boosts. Once he reaches the 5th boost, the Gear automatically materializes and after that boost, it resets. However, the light is still something that shines from the back of his hand when he does it, so he covers it with his shirt. This is how he secretly boosts during spars.

He looked back to the two standing there together. An intense fear was planted in his mind. He could hear his heartbeat pumping in his head loudly. He waited in suspense for what was to come.

'...Move or don't move move or don't move move or don't move-?!'

The Devil slowly raised his right arm to shoulder level. His arm stayed in the air unmoving.

 _'No…. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!'_

He reared his arm back and—.

 _ **ZIN!**_

 _'..Eh?'_

The Devil slashed at the air around him, in a full 360° spin. His body froze immediately after.

 _'...W-What…. What did….'_

Before Issei could understand what happened, he heard a loud cracking sound from next to him, and all around him.

 ** _Crack!_**

 _'Wha..?'_

Almost all of the trees in the surrounding area— were split in half.

 _'WHA_ — _?!'_

The trees were sliced so quickly, that they floated in the air briefly, and then came crashing down to the ground.

 ** _CRRACCKK!_**

"GAAH!"

Issei dove out of the way of the falling trees as they all collectively crashed to the floor.

 ** _DOOOOOOOOOON!_**

….

"Urgh..."

Issei groaned as he slowly lifted himself off the ground. He propped himself up on one knee.

"Ah... So, you were hiding there, were you?"

—Issei froze as he heard an unfriendly voice, speaking directly to him.

The place that Issei and the other two occupied was now nothing but a makeshift clearing. Issei was completely exposed and visible. In a state of shock, he shifted his gaze to the left of himself, where the voice of the man— The Devil, spoke out to him from.

"That's odd…. You glow so brilliantly…."

When Issei finally turned—.

—The Devil was standing above him, reaching out with his black glove, centimeters from Issei's face.

"..It's disgusting."

 **[!?—?!]**

Issei jumped back without hesitation, and created a gap between him and the man.

"Hm?... That's not right…. That's too fast a movement for a boy…"

The man said that with his face shrouded in darkness. Only his red eyes glowed in the shadows, piercing through Issei's form.

Issei shot his eyes towards the hypnotized boy, who was standing aimlessly, alone. Issei quickly circled around, behind the man's line of sight, and ran to grab the unguarded boy.

—But the man was already standing between them.

"Oh, this one?... No, he was just a tool to lure you out, honestly…"

(—!)

Issei skid to a stop, but his momentum was too strong for him to fully halt. So, instead, he spawned his gauntlet and jumped straight into the man's jaw.

 **[Boost!]**

 _ **DON!**_

….

"That's not right either…"

(—!?)

The man pushed against Issei's Gear with only his cheek, to look directly at him. Unaffected.

"That's too strong for a boy…"

Issei retreated in a great shock, while the man continued speaking in a manner that made Issei uneasy.

"..You were trying to get to this boy?.. So the decoy worked..? I was trying to get you to follow me, but I didn't think you would... I had to take you in circles to make sure..… You didn't notice the first time I took someone, but I guess that was just my bad timing….."

Issei stood upright, while not understanding what was going on.

 _'He_ _was trying to lure me out?! Why?! Did he know I had a Sacred Gear?! How?!'_

"You're asking why I wanted you to chase me right?... That's because you're the only one who's ever noticed me…. I wasn't making my presence known, but you still caught me…. Even if I was staring at you, your human instincts shouldn't have warned you about it... So there had to be something more to you…. No, even more than that, you're 'glowing' so brightly…. That's not right…. I've never seen someone glow that brightly…."

"...What the hell are you talking about?..."

"Your language isn't right either. That's not how a boy talks…"

The man spoke in an eerie tone with every single word. Issei could not see his face, due to the dark shadows covering it, but he could see his red, glowing eyes stare sharply into him. They were wide open. As if his expression was devoid of any emotion.

"You're asking about the glow, aren't you? The glow…. You're glowing…. This other boy is not glowing... He was just a fake to bring you out, so he's not glowing like you…. Or all the others…."

Issei didn't care for the man's rambling. The man only looked towards the boy behind him.

"But you see….. I was born with the special ability to see people who glow…. For a long time, I didn't know what it meant….. Not a lot of people around me were like that…. But I would see them every few years….. Even my elder brother had a quiet glow around him….. I soon found out…that it was a sign….. A sign from God….."

Issei's brain stopped when he heard the man's remark.

"...God? You are a Devil…"

"—SILENCE!"

Issei flinched harshly at the man's sudden outburst.

"..That is something I know well…. Of course I know….. It's something I have to live with everyday…. Because I am the necessary sacrifice….. The blood of Christ was spilled to relieve man of his sins….. This time, I shall bear sin so that others needn't bear the burden themselves…. And I shall bear the burden for the sake of divine justice….. To take the life of another is a crime against God's creation…. That is why I shall become the sacrificial pawn to God's plan…and prevent those who are destined to kill from taking the lives of others…"

"..Prevent taking the lives of others?"

"Yes…. You see, boy….. This 'glow' that surrounded my brother and these boys, including you, is the glow of a murderer…"

Issei was left entirely confused by the man's declaration.

"...What?"

"My brother….. He oh so loathed my mother…. He loathed her intensely….. Despite the fact that she loved him…that she cared for him…. He loathed her nonetheless…. Then, one day, he and mother were arguing with one another. I noticed it then…. In the midst of it, his glow began to become brighter. Brighter, and brighter. Until, it almost reached a point where I could not look at him directly. It was at its brightest when he had his hands reaching out, gripping around my mother's neck…. But right before the glow increased any further, it stopped. It ceased when he was just short of squeezing his fingers around her neck…. And as he let go, the glow died down to almost nothingness. It became nothing, but a faint glimmer again….. At that moment, I realized it…. He was going to kill my mother….. That glow, it was the indicator that he was going to become a murderer….. It was then that I finally came to understand….. This is a gift! A sign! A sign from God! He was telling me to save my mother! He was telling me to save her life from my murderous brother! Not only her, but many others as well! The world around me was surrounded by those with faint glows! Not many of them were there beside me, but I could find them if I looked for them! God was speaking to me! He was begging me to stop them! Stop them from taking the innocent lives of his beloved children! To take on the burden of sin for the sake of DIVINE JUSTICE!..."

While the man gave an empowered speech, Issei was confused about one minor detail.

"...What...did you do to your brother?"

The man only looked down at Issei curiously.

"...Hmm? I killed him, of course."

(—?!)

"He was nothing but a filthy sinner who desired the destruction of one of the many innocent temples that God created….. If I had not killed him then, he would surely have killed my mother. The same can be said for all of the others until this point…. If I had not killed them, then they would surely grow to become those who take the lives of innocent children of God…"

"...The others? You mean... The children..?"

"Hm? Is it your age? Is that why you do not understand? It is obvious isn't it? I've been killing them."

 **[!?—?!]**

Fear spread through Issei's body. But somewhere, deep below that fear.… Rested a silent rage.

"...You..."

"They were destined for it. I cannot allow the deaths of God's innocent children. They would surely grow to become brutal scum who destroy the lives of others. That's why it is best if I eliminate them as quickly as possible. That is why I accepted the condition set by that repulsive Devil. I needed to sacrifice my soul for the greater good. I needed to become the murderer of murderers. I needed the ability to serve my proper purpose. But as I thought, I could not stand such an existence continuing. That..worthless Devil was meant to die by my hand..! It was natural, I'm sure you understand.. Now, I am free. Free to cleanse the world of those who would defile God's creations. Now that you understand, here is my question to you, boy. Why is it that you glow so brilliantly? Even my own brother did not shine so greatly when he was at the moment of killing my mother... Could it be? It couldn't possibly be true…. Could it be….that you've already tasted blood once before?"

The man— No, the Devil. This "man" was a Devil. And this Devil's glowing red eyes pierced through Issei.

"D-Don't mess with me! I've never killed anyone before!"

"Hmm… I do not suspect deceitful practice in your tongue….. Then why…. Why is it that is possible?"

"Don't ask me, moron!"

 _'Ddraig, What the hell is he talking about?! This guy_ — _he has to be insane!'_

[Mm, indeed. However, I feel that I may have an assumption as to why he speaks of this.]

 _'What are you talking about, Ddraig?! Explain! We don't have time to be messing around!'_

[Indeed, we do not, partner. I suspect this "Divine ability" of his is nothing more than a low level Sacred Gear.]

 _'A Gear!?'_

[It seems likely. You are the "brightest" one he has ever encountered. It suggests that you are the first Gear user he has met that has unlocked their power. His sibling must have been at the height of its activation, but stopped just short of it. The children he has been killing must be dormant Gear possessors. I suspected as well that there may have been two others besides yourself that possessed a Gear, enclosed within that educational institution you attend, but they were locked from them. They were also low level, in comparison to yours, which is a Longinus.]

 _'T-This guy..! He's been hunting Gear users?! And he doesn't even know it himself?! Maybe if I explain it_ — _!'_

[Do not be foolish, boy. This a deranged Devil. He will not heed your words.]

 _'...W-Wait... But if he's been hunting Gear users without knowing it…. Then…... Those children were innocent from the start….'_

[Is it not obvious?]

….

...

—Without saying anything to Ddraig, or the Devil, Issei began boosting his power further. Straight to his limit.

 **[Boost!]**

[You cannot win this.]

"Hmm? You are glowing brighter? That's not right…."

 **[Boost!]**

[What exactly do you plan on doing?]

"Unless….. Does that mean….. You have manifested your wish to kill me?"

 **[Boost!]**

"As I thought…. You must have spilt the blood of the innocent once before…. In that case, I will erase you."

 **[Boost!] [Explosion!]**

 _ **Shyoooom!**_

Power burst from the small figure of Issei. His body was surrounded by a soft, thin, green aura, shocking the Devil.

"What?! What is this?! Could it be—?! You weren't human at all?! I see! So that is how it must be..! You must be in alliance with the filthy forces of the Devils! Disguising as a human child, it seems I was the one who was tricked! As I thought, I must eliminate you after all!"

Issei's teeth grit tightly. The images of families at the funerals of their own young children filled his mind.

His fear was finally replaced— with rage.

"...You…. You murderous bastaaaaaard!"

Issei launched himself towards the Devil, at a speed the Devil was not prepared for.

[Fool! A stray has no boundaries set to their power! Even if he was a weakling before, he is free now! He is no longer barred by any restrictions set before!]

Issei readied his Gear in midair and brought it forward, as if it was in slow motion, with full force.

"As— If— I— Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrreeee!"

And when his Gear connected, that full force was released.

 _ **DOOOON!**_

"GUUH!"

Issei's Gear was planted right in the Devil's jaw. The force of the punch sent the Devil sliding back and rolling into the ground.

 _'NOW!'_

The moment Issei touched the ground—

 _ **Whoosh!**_

—He swiftly snatched up the boy, and ran straight back in the direction he came from, at top speed.

"Wha—?! He ran!"

[Hm. You were planning on running from the start, I see?]

 _'Of course I was! I can't win like this! And I definitely can't leave this kid behind!'_

[Hah! Is that your reasoning? I should have known it was such an excuse. If you had planned on running from the beginning, then you would have done so easily. Instead, you risk your own life for such a reason. For nothing but a stranger, yet again. A naive and foolish boy you are indeed.]

 _'Will you quit berating me and tell me if he's chasing me or not?!'_

[He is.]

 _'What?!'_

Just as Issei took a peek behind him, he heard the sharp sound of wind.

 ** _Foom!_**

"There you are!"

The Devil was flying right above the cascade of trees Issei was running through. Sleek, black wings held him high in the air.

"Get back here! I will not allow you to harm that child!"

 _'I'm the one trying to save him, you worthless bastard!'_

 ** _Foom!_**

Suddenly, the Devil dove into the forest of trees and started flying a few meters behind Issei.

"What the..?!"

[Use your environment to your advantage.]

 _'Dammit!'_

Issei launched himself up and began jumping from tree branch to tree branch, to increase his coverage of ground further.

"You are fast! But you will not escape! I will save that boy!"

"Shut the hell up, you scum! You're a damn murderer who kills innocent kids! All you've been hunting is nothing but Sacred Gear users, moron! You've just been using your own to find 'em!"

"Bah! You cannot deceive me! Such a thing was nothing but a lie created by those Devils who fostered me!"

 _'Ddraig! Could those Devils not have told him he had one?!'_

[They may not have had the chance to.]

 _'Fuckin' dammit!'_

The chase continued. Issei didn't know what speed he was moving at, but it had to be around 30 kilometers per hour, he assumed. He could easily catch up to a good amount of vehicles, at this point.

Despite that, the Devil behind him kept pace with almost no trouble at all. The Devil maneuvered through the trees with little effort. Only three meters separated the both of them.

 _'Damn! For someone who hates Devils he's sure good at using his wings!'_

[Indeed. He is closing in by the minute.]

 _'Damn! It doesn't look like I'll have a choice then!'_

Issei looked as far ahead as he could, and formulated a strategy. He started jumping in a certain pattern, making sure the Devil followed him at every turn.

[Partner?]

 _'Not now, Ddraig!'_

[He's close!]

 _'I know, Ddraig!'_

 ** _Foom, foom!_**

The Devil was flapping his wings vigorously. He was closing in.

"Now I have yoooooou!"

The Devil reached out to grab Issei as he drew closer. His arm was centimeters from Issei's shirt. But—.

"Boost!"

Issei proclaimed it loudly, as he held his gauntlet reared back, in front of the Devil's face. Then, came the light.

 **[Boost!]**

 _ **Shiiin!**_

"Agh!"

The Devil was blinded for what had to have been less than a full second. Unfortunately for him..

"Wha—?"

—That was enough time for him to meet the brunt of a large, sturdy branch of a tree.

 ** _WACK!_**

"GAH!"

Due to the Devil's momentum, the collision caused him to flip and crash him into the ground, brutally.

 ** _BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!_**

"Yeeeeeeeees! Ahahahahahaha!"

Issei laughed proudly as he furthered himself from the body of the Devil that was grounded.

[You have exceeded your boost limit, partner. You will reset soon.]

"I know! That's why I'm busting my ass to get away right now!"

[This was your strategy?]

"His fault for flying so damn fast! Asshole should have kept his eyes on the road!"

[...Kukuku... Kuhahaha! A child using trickery to incapacitate a Stray Devil, in his supple ninth year of life? To an existence like myself, it sounds like a joke. Kuhahaha! What sort of host have I been matched with? Is this a blessing or a curse? Kuhahahaha!]

"Don't call me a curse, you stupid lizard!"

[Ahahahahahahaha - AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]

"Shut up, you're hurting my head!"

The Devil that was left far behind Issei, lifted himself from the ground, as he heard the sounds of the child yelling far in the distance.

"Rrrghh…! I WILL FIND YOOOOOOOOUUU!"

Likewise, Issei could hear the Devil scream loudly from within the trees. He was a great length away, at this point.

"Just try it, suuuuckkeeer!"

[Partner. He knows of which educational institution you attend. Do you believe he cannot lure you out once again?]

 _'...He won't need to, Ddraig…'_

[Hoh?]

* * *

 ** _Aikawa residence_**

As usual, Akane was in the kitchen cooking dinner, while Maki sat on the couch in the living room, bored.

 _ **Ding-Dong~**_

Maki brightened up when she heard the doorbell ring.

"Nii-Nii!"

"Ah, ah! Stay there, Maki. I'll go see who it is."

"Okay…"

Akane left from the living area and approached the front door. Without opening it, she answered.

"Satoshi? Is that you?"

She heard a familiar voice from behind.

"Ah, Obaa-san.. It's me."

"Oh!"

Akane unlocked the door and opened it without hesitation.

 _ **Dakun.**_

"Ise-kun! We didn't expect you back from your friend's so soo..."

Akane's speech died off when she laid eyes upon the unconscious boy that Issei was piggyback carrying.

"Ehehehe... Sorry…. I didn't know where he lived…"

"...I...Ise-kun…. That boy is…."

Issei forced an awkward smile. Both of the boys bodies were covered in dirt and sweat.

"Hehehe…. His name is Satoru…."

Akane's eyes widened in a terrified shock.

"MAKI! BRING MOMMY THE PHONE RIGHT NOW! Ise-kun, inside, hurry!"

Akane pulled the boys in, and quickly shut and locked the door. Maki stepped out from the living area in curiosity.

"Mama? What's wrong?"

"Maki, go upstairs with Ise-kun and lock yourselves in the room. Don't come out until me or your father comes to get you. Ise-kun, do you still have my phone?"

"Yeah, here."

"Good. Now go. Don't come out until we get you."

Issei placed the boy on his back again and carried him up the stairs, while Maki followed him fearfully.

"Nii-Nii... What's happening? I'm scared…"

"It's okay, Maki-chan. He's not comin' here.."

The children locked themselves in Issei's room upstairs, leaving Akane alone. She quickly turned off all of the main lights in the house and opened her flip phone to dial a certain number.

 ** _Ring~_**

[Aichi prefectural police department, how may I help you?]

* * *

...

It was the dead of night. A young boy was walking through a familiar forest, the crunch of leaves under his shoes.

[Is this truly the best course of action that you see, partner?]

 _'...Does it seem like I have a choice?'_

[I suppose not.]

He continued walking.

—After Issei arrived home with the unconscious boy, the authorities were called. Satoshi immediately returned home a bit early, with the permission from his superiors. The authorities retrieved the unconscious boy and asked Issei how he came across him. Issei lied and explained that he found him wrapped in a bag, behind a store. He didn't lie entirely. The store was near the forest itself. The authorities were currently investigating the area around it.

It was Issei's failsafe. If it became too dangerous for him to face the Devil, then all he needed to do was bring attention to the forest.

Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.

He suspects that by tomorrow morning, there would be many news reports involving him, and maybe even some calling him a "young hero" of some sort.

He wasn't a hero. Not yet, at least.

"...[Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors]…"

As Issei was approaching his destination, he could vaguely make out the sound of a prayer.

He had heard this prayer once before. From where? His friend Shidou? No, it was Shidou's father.

There was one time that he spent the night at Shidou's house. He couldn't sleep and heard a voice coming from downstairs. There, in the living room, was Shidou's father, praying in front of something.

An object. A large cross?.. A sword?

 ** _Crunch._**

Issei finally took one step out from the sea of trees, and into the clearing he was in just hours ago. This time, the clearing was even more of a proper clearing. It didn't have the fallen and cut down trees lying around. It looks as if they were destroyed, smashed into pieces. Though there were some trees he passed along the way that looked like they had been tossed.

He was now standing right at the entrance of a perfectly circular battlefield.

"...[And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil].."

In the middle of the field, was the Devil, sitting on his knees, reciting a prayer. His hands held above his head, with a crucifix necklace in between his gloved hands. A small amount of steam seemed to be arising from his palms as well. And there was blood leaking out of his ears.

 _'...Ddraig…. You once told me that, as the 'Sekiryuutei'... Killing…was going to become normal for me…. Right?'_

[Indeed. It is unavoidable. —Child. I will not ask why you question it now, but I am sure that you will still tell me, won't you?]

Issei lifted his gaze from the ground. His sharp, hateful glare pierced through the Devil's head.

 _'...This Devil….'_

"...[And he said to them, When you pray, say: 'Father..]…"

 _'...must not live…'_

"...[..hallowed be thy name']."

— _The Devil was staring right back at Issei._

* * *

 **End**

 **BOOM! There she is! Finally got this fucker out! Sorry for the delay guys! As I said up above there was a lot getting in the way. I mean I'm only one day later than I planned but it still makes me feel a little bad. In return, this chapter is longer than usual! So I hope you enjoyed. I hope I made the Stray interesting. I really wanted to make a stray character that no one's ever done before. Hopefully you guys liked him. Next chapter will be the face off! Sorry for blue balling you guys hehe. Anyway, minor time skip, Issei is a bit stronger and considered a natural prodigy amongst his peers, he's facing his first humanoid opponent (a stray Devil no less), and we'll have to see how it turns out. In case you're wondering, no, the Stray has no name. Kinda creepy and interesting if he has no information about him. The only thing we really know is he is Japanese, hence why I picked a Japanese character for his appearance. And in case you were thinking "why didn't saying the religious stuff hurt the Devil?" It did, read a bit more carefully ;)**

 **So yeah, tell me what you guys thought about everything. Did you like the minor time skip? What do you think Issei will do next chapter? Is the Stray an intimidating/interesting minor villain? Will Gohan defeat cell?! Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!**

 **P.S. Maki has Pnuemonia. I'm sure she'll recover but it's sad. Poor girl. It's actually a small reference to my childhood because right when I was her age I had to be homeschooled for 1st grade since I had pneumonia as well. I was alright but I had already had it once Before when I was only 30 days old. Almost died actually haha. So you can imagine my mother wouldn't let me go to school. Decided to use that since it worked for the story.**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**


	5. Chapter 5: Zealous

**Okay bringing it back. I've been on a roll despite the number of my stories actually increasing. So let's just keep it going. In case you guys don't know the order of my story updates they go: 1. Red Dragon Of Golden Light 2. Red Dragon Of Stupidity 3. Lone Dragon Emperor 4. A Fool's Heart.**

 **That's the basic order. So after this will be A Fool's Heart and Red Dragon Of Golden Light (which I am REALLY itching to get to).**

 **Anyway, we're continuing off the cliffhanger from let time. Will Issei be able to defeat the Stray? How will he accomplish such a feat? Can he really do it himself? Time to find out, this time, on Dragon Ball Z!**

* * *

 **-SCENE-**

In the dead of night, 2 individuals were placed in the middle of a circular clearing. A boy and a Man. A human and a 'Devil'. The boy stood silently with the moonlight directly above him casting a dark shadow on the front of his form. The man who was kneeling in the center of the clearing had an unnatural shadow already cast around his entire body. It clashed with the moonlight. As if his entire being was encompassed by darkness. It looked that way on the outside. The God he worshipped would say it looked the same on the inside as well.

If he could of course.

 **[Boost!]**

A bright green light flashed from the boy's left arm. Out from the back of his hand spawned a red gauntlet that covered his entire hand and stopped just short of his elbow.

The night was silent. Only the sounds from outside the forest and the minor sounds from within broke it.

The Stray that kneeled in the center stood from his spot.

 **[Boost!]**

The Stray cracked his neck eerily.

 **[Boost!]**

He removed His crucifix necklace from his gloves and placed it slowly over his neck without hesitation. Steam rises from his skin as it burns and bleeds profusely into his black suit. He does not even flinch. The crucifix reflects the moonlight.

 **[Boost!]**

The Stray pulled off his dark grey cotton gloves and slid them into his right suit pocket. His hands were obscenely burnt, as if they were dumped in acid daily. The reason why was obvious. He reached into his left suit pocket and retrieved black leather gloves to place over his hands.

 **[Boost!] [Explosion!]**

The Stray turned to face Issei. His red eyes shimmering through the darkness of his form, piercing into Issei's soul.

"...So you have come to me then?..."

Issei's eyes had subtle green glow. His determined gaze set into the Devil's own.

"..Even now you glow ever so brightly…..as I thought, you have come here with the intention of killing me…..You have only furthered my point, Murderer."

"The only murderer here is you."

The Stray pulled his fedora slightly forward over his eyes.

"Hmph. To you perhaps. Those who associate themselves with the forces of Evil have the tendency to view the world through their subjective experiences. To you, I am a murderer, only because you do not adhere to the divine arrangement of the Lord. I do. Therefore, the only murderer here is you."

"You're the only one who has killed innocent people."

The Devil outstretched his arms as he looked up into the starry sky.

"Innocence is something assessed by the eyes of the Lord. Those who take the lives of the innocent are worthless. Those who take the lives of sinful humans are still murderers. I became a murderer for the sake of bringing justice and preventing the deaths of the truly innocent. For the sake of Divine Justice."

"You think you're God?"

"I am his servant."

"Says the former Devil slave."

 **PK!**

The ground beneath the Stray cracked under the pressure of his foot as he launched himself towards Issei at full speed.

[Dodge!]

Issei dove at the last second straight to ground as the Stray whipped past him into the trees. Cracking and breaking sounds followed. Issei landed on the ground painfully.

 **Thud!**

"Urgh…"

[Up you fool! He is above you!]

 **Foom!**

The Stray appeared floating above the forest with an entire tree held over his head.

"OOAAH-!"

He tossed the tree straight down at Issei. He quickly dodged, rolling onto the floor once more.

 **DOON!**

'U-Unbelievable! This is a Devil's strength?!'

[You should not question it! Nor do you have the time to! He's coming!]

Issei instinctively rolled away from his position as the Stray descended upon the ground and created a crater beneath his legs.

 **DOOOOON!**

'I can't get hit! If I get hit I'm done for! He's too strong! This is too far above my level! He makes the Nightwalker beast look like a bird!'

Issei stood up and took his best stance. The Stray lifted himself slowly. His menacing red gaze locked onto and never separating from the boy.

'Ddraig….What do you think my chances of winning are?'

[Mathematically, 30%]

"Hahaha!"

Issei laughed unintentionally. He smiled bitterly.

'...Ah…..So that's how it is…'

 **PK!**

The Stray launched himself from the crater to Issei at full speed again. The moment he reached him he sent a flurry of attacks Issei could only dodge at the last second, with hairs flying off his head and scratches appearing on his face from the pressure of the punches.

'Too fast! Too strong! I can't even attack!'

Issei was being pushed back to a large boulder twice his size. When his back hit the rock, the Stray sent a powerful strike aimed at his head. Issei ducked before the strike could reach him and the boulder cracked in half.

 **BRRCK!**

The Stray reared back his arm and prepared to send another strike at Issei below him to pound him into the ground. Issei quickly dodged out from under the Devil's legs and ended up behind him. The Devil spoke while he retracted his fist from the dirt.

"Foolish boy. You may have the mind of a Devil but you've the body of a child. I was the [Rook] of that disgusting vermin. My strength compared to your own is just the same difference as between an adult and an infant. Even with your powers. Taking that body simply for a petty disguise, it seems to have backfired."

Before the Stray could speak anymore Issei grabbed onto the Devil's caffs and used all of his strength to quickly pull his legs from under him and toss him away like a ragdoll. The Devil immediately whipped out his wings and spun himself to land effortlessly on 3 of his limbs like a superhero.

Once he landed he flew straight at Issei like a bullet. Issei acted on instinct and threw his fist, colliding with the Devil's face. The force of Issei's punch and the Devil's momentum clashed and caused them both to have a violent reaction. The Devil's flight was cut short and his body spun into the ground where it bounced violently. Issei's small body was almost pushed back with his entire left side being thrown off balance from the collision.

 **BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**

"Urgh…"

Issei held his arm in pain from the impact.

'Ah!...The only reason I did that is because the Boosted Gear is indestructible….But if I wasn't boosted fully...that would've broken my arm!...or ripped it off...'

The Stray struggled to lift himself from the floor with blood pouring from his nose and covering most of his face.

[Take the initiative. Any chance you have must be taken!]

'Right!'

Issei took his chance and ran at the Stray head on. The eyes of the Devil pierced through him and he felt a subconscious fear build up within him. The enemy he was up against was A Devil. The embodiment of Evil as ordained by God. A murderer much stronger than him. He was unbelievably afraid.

That doesn't mean he was going to stop.

Issei reared back his fist for an attack and sent his strike for the Devil's face. The Stray did not dodge.

 **DON!**

Issei's fist connected with his cheek.

[Wait!-No you fool!]

It was too late for Issei to realize. His instincts simply weren't refined enough.

 **Grip!**

Before Issei could move, the Stray already had a tight grip on his throat. He lifted the small boy with his right am into the sky and held onto his neck tightly.

"For you to steal the body of this child….have you mongrels have no shame?"

"URGH-! GRRGHH!"

Issei could not respond. He didn't even have the luxury to. He choked and grunted while struggling in the Devil's iron grip. He kicked at the Devil's face and chest desperately.

"For the sake of this child….I will end this as cleanly as I can….though you will most definitely suffer for it….at the very least, in respect for this boy...die quietly..."

His attempts at escape were only becoming more erratic as he began to lose more and more oxygen. He couldn't break the Devil's grip no matter how tightly he wrapped his hands on the Devil's forearm. Even as he began to dig his claws into the suit and into his skin. Saliva and tears leaked out from his face. His vision started to become blurry and his eyes were growing red.

[Partner! Do not lose consciousness!]

"...GGHH….AAGH…"

'...Think!...I...have to think!...I can't-!...Not here!...'

He struggled to think as the oxygen in his brain was diminishing. He attempted to scourge through memories of everything he learned in his training up to that point. His master's words repeated in his head.

" _Listen Issei, Judo is about how you can use someone's else own body against them. 'Stability' and 'Kuzushi'. Leverage and balance. Even a child can face an adult. It's hard, but it's possible. Even if that seems ridiculous. You are proof of that Issei. If someone has you in a hold you can't break out from, use their hold against them. Get creative. If none of the techniques I've shown you works, just remember those basic principles. Take control of the situation. You have a strong spirit Issei. Something like a Dragon's spirit, Haha! So don't ever think that just because someone stronger has got you in their hold means that you can't get out of it. Just...try not to be too brutal yeah?...in tournaments that's not gonna do well….and sometimes you scare me haha…"_

 **-!-**

Something sparked within Issei. His bloodshot eyes strained open as he set his gaze on the Stray. Before the Devil would react from shock Issei made his move. Issei raised his legs and wrapped his entire body around the arm of the Devil that held him up. He clung onto it like some sort of animal would a tree branch. Then, using all of his strength, Issei began to push his weight into his stomach by bending his body inward.

"Wha-?!"

Issei held onto the arm tightly and pulled his body inward towards his chest, almost like a fetal position, effectively breaking the arm that held onto him by bending it too far too quickly.

 **BRCK!**

"AGH!"

The Devil immediately dropped him and held onto his broken arm that was bent out of place.

 **Thud!**

"GAHAAAA-!"

Issei brought air into his lungs harshly as he landed on the floor. He gasped and coughed on the floor while struggling to pick himself up.

"Grrr….RRRRRGGGHH!"

The Devil behind him groaned briefly while holding his arm, then he forcefully pushed his elbow back and returned it to its original place with another loud crack. But the arm did not work as intended and simply fell limply to his side.

"Rrrrgh! Worthless….You…"

"Haaah...ugh.."

Issei finally was able to catch his breath as he rubbed his sore, red neck. He and the Stray glared at each other sharply.

"You-!...It seems even in a child's body you are resourceful. But you are a fool! Do you believe I cannot kill you only using this arm? Guh-! Bleh-!"

The Stray growled at Issei, but for some reason he suddenly hunched over vomited a small amount of blood.

"D-Damn! This accursed body-! Do not worry My Lord! I shan't allow something so miniscule to betray my dedication to you!"

The Devil said that fiercely while hunched over. Issei just noticed something interesting.

[Partner, his power is diminishing.]

Ddraig was right. Issei started seeing it clearly. The Stray was bleeding from his mouth, ears, and his right eye. He was sweating all over his face and his sclera were being dyed red. He was becoming weaker. Issei looked lower. There had been a streak of steam arising from his chest coming in contact with the cross before he hunched over.

'!..It's-! He's getting weaker! The cross is making him weaker!'

[Indeed, Partner. Devils cannot stand the effect that Holy objects and prayers. This fool has been weakening himself from the start. If he continues to fight you while he bears the crucifix, he will surely die.]

'In that case-!'

[Don't even think about it Partner. That won't do. A game of endurance will not work. This Devil is much stronger and has higher endurance than you. Do you believe that he will not realize it himself? He has already acknowledged it. He will no longer take any chances. You can only expect him to go all out from here. We have already had a close call. He will kill you faster than you have the opportunity to turn this into an endurance match. He's not afraid to let you hurt him for the purpose of getting you close. This time, he will take your life. So giving him more time and chances to do it would be the worst decision to make. The fact that you came to such a conclusion only shows how inexperienced you are. Then again, to have such cunning thoughts at your age is still extraordinary.]

'Then what do I do?!'

[Hmph. Foolish boy. It damages him. What do you think?]

'Rrgh!'

Issei looked back to the Stray who was breathing heavily.

'The cross hurts him...it burns him and makes him weaker….I can't turn this into a long fight….And he won't let me either….if that's it then…'

"Ptu!"

The Stray stood up straight and spit out a wad of blood.

'Then….I'll just have put as much of my power into a punch that'll land that cross straight in his chest!'

[I suppose that should do it.]

'If there's something better then tell me! I'm starting to get annoyed by you!'

[Hmm...No. I had not realized it before, but the strategy I had in mind won't actually work. You are not on the level of possessing such an ability. Unfortunate. If you could transfer that power it would work perfectly. An easy victory.]

'Ability? Transfer?'

[It is not of our concern yet. As of now, we must focus on what you _can_ do. In this case, your route is the best course of action to take. Concentrate your power into a strike that will land the crucifix directly onto his chest. The power of the strike combined with the effect of the cross should blast through his body and defeat him effectively. Though, I do not expect him to die. But if he is defeated to near death he will surely concede on our terms.]

'What terms?'

[Threaten to take his cross from him. Once he is immobile he will not be able to defy you. He may turn out to act sporadically and violent to your threats, but with his damaged body he will not be able to do much.]

'Then what? Leave him?'

[Indeed. But you must return him his cross.]

'What?! Why?!'

[Fool. He will be satisfied once you return it. I would imagine he would curl up like an infant with his cross in hand, slowly killing him as he holds it. All that's left for us to do then is leave him to die. Unless you wish to watch him die.]

'...That's…'

[Not now. Prepare yourself. ' _Zealous_ ' is moving.]

Just as Ddraig said that the Devil began praying with the cross that burned his hands through his gloves.

"O Lord, give me your strength...and I shall give you my blood. Please, allow me to rid the world of this guilty existence in thy name. Even if you must rip my soul from this foul vessel, give me the power to take his life in exchange for my own."

'Ddraig, what is Zealous?'

[In this case: An unhealthy dedication. Strong beliefs. Obsession. This Devil is **Zealous**. A fitting name.]

"In the name of Jesus Christ.."

'You named him?'

"Amen…"

[He's coming!]

 **-!-**

The Stray jumped towards Issei with only one of his arms functioning properly. He swung at Issei who dodged every attack. Issei noticed that his speed had decreased considerably. Issei could dodge the attacks with less effort, but that doesn't mean it was easy. The Stray also began relying on his legs much more than he had before, swinging them over Issei's head as a part of the flurry of attacks.

'He's open now! I can attack!'

As the Devil sent his strike to Issei, Issei pulled onto his arm and quickly placed his leg behind the Devil's caff. Then, he quickly put his hand on the Devil's throat and sweeped his legs out from under him, slamming him into the ground by his neck. This was an advanced foot sweeping technique.

 _'De Aishi Barai!'_

 **DON!**

"AAGH!"

Issei took the chance of the Stray being taken to the ground and started striking his head consistently.

 **DON DON DON DON DON DON!**

The Stray bled profusely from his head even more so than before. But he was stopped by Ddraig.

[Enough! Back you fool!]

Issei immediately reacted and jumped quickly off the Devil's chest.

'What?! Why did you stop me?!'

[You were careless. He was a mere moment from taking your head. You should have just made for an attack on the cross on his chest. Or at the very least you should have taken the cross from him. You got carried away. Set your priorities straight, lest you're graced by the presence of death.]

'I-!...Damn!'

The Devil brought himself up in fury. He was growling like a mad dog. A familiar sound emitted from the gauntlet.

 **[Reset!]**

'Wha-?!'

[Partner, your power was reset to the 5th boost. You no longer have the power from 'Explosion'. Your speed, stamina, and strength have most likely decreased. You will fully reset soon.]

'No No No No No No No! Come on! I needed that!'

[You do not have much time. I suggest you end this quickly. Now.]

Issei dashed to the Stray who was unprepared. His anger was momentarily replaced by shock when Issei quickly appeared in front of him and sent a strike straight to his chest.

 **DON!**

"GUOUGH!"

Blood was spit out from the Devil's mouth as he slouched over. A perfect hit. Right on top of the cross. A sizzling sound came to Issei's ears as the Devil's body began shaking.

[Show no leniency!]

Issei reared back his fist and punched the Stray once more. Twice more. Thrice more. Many times.

 **DON DON DON DON DON DON DON!**

"BLEGH!"

Over and over Issei sent punches into the Devil's chest. The Stray only vomited more blood with every strike. The Devil's body shook and lost its footing. He fell to knees. Still. It almost seemed like he was dead.

Issei inhaled and exhaled heavily. There was a bit of blood on his face. He used his thumb to wipe it off and looked down at the smear.

…...

He began to feel disgusted and disturbed.

He had just been ruthlessly beating the man with no hesitation. He remembered the impact of the strikes against his arms. Some parts soft, some parts solid, but everything made a noise when he hit it. Sizzling. Cracking. Breaking. Spewing. The Devil's blood painted the grass below them. Some it was glistening from the moonlight. All of that blood was from inside of him. And Issei was the one who brutally dragged it out.

He started to feel sick.

[This is not the time Boy. This is not a man, this is a Devil. Close your heart to it.]

'...I-I know..'

Issei attempted to steel his nerves. His hands were shaking lightly. His subconscious wrought conflict and guilt within him. This caused him to make a reckless decision.

'...I'll do it..in one strike…'

He readied his gauntlet.

 **[Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!]**

He boosted 3 times. He was already past his limits.

He hesitated to strike. He sent his strike to the Devil's chest. His hesitation would cost him dearly.

Just the strike was about to make contact, the Boosted Gear made an announcement.

 **[Burst!]**

 **Pun!**

Issei's strike was easily caught in the Devil's palm.

...

"...Ddrai-"

Issei couldn't finish his statement as blood jumped out of his mouth. His power had fully left him. The Stray held his gauntlet firmly and pierced his pure red eyes straight through Issei.

[Fool! We've underestimated him! I did not realize his madness ran so deep! He should not have been able to move! Or even think! Get away! You have no chance-!]

 **DON!**

The Devil's fist had already planted himself in the boy's abdomen.

"GAHAAA-!"

The air was ripped from Issei's lungs and the blood released from his mouth was due to the impact of the punch. He hunched his small body over painfully and fell to ground while holding his stomach. Pain and despair filled him as his power left him.

'...One hit….'

Painful tears fell from Issei's eyes as he realized the grim outcome in atrocious pain.

One hit. One hit is all it took. Ddraig was right. Truthfully, he was no match. He lost the moment he took even one hit. Ddraig's dreaded words, even after 2 and a half years, continue to bring themselves up.

 _[You're only a Child. **There's simply nothing you can do.** ]_

"….Uuuugh.."

Issei groaned in pain as tiny amounts of oxygen quickly entered and exited his lungs. He slowly lifted his shaking body to balance it on all fours. Painful wheezing and a lost sense of balance were the only senses that were felt properly by Issei. The Stray stood over Issei's body.

"You….Scum…...I...will not fall here!...I….will fulfil the Lord's request!..."

The Stray wobbled in place as he struggled to remain standing. Blood was leaking from everywhere in his body. He was coated in blood that gave him an odd glow from the moonlight. He finally balanced himself enough to prepare a strike. He was aiming to take Issei's head.

"I won't allow….something like you…..to prevent me….from dealing-! The Lord's-! Justice!"

Time moved in slow motion as the strike descended on Issei. His short life flashed in his mind. His mother. His father. His friends. And his current family.

Akane. Satoshi. Maki. Will he be buried alongside his parents? He will be the only one with a body in his coffin.

No.

This Devil may not leave a trace. So it may not even be something he should worry about. Would they cry for him? Maki would. If she understands. At this age, she most likely will. He wonders about his aunt and uncle. His grandmother may not be able to take it. She might not have the strength. She may follow him into the grave.

….Right before the strike could descend onto Issei's neck, he was brought back into the past for just mere moments.

" _Ise! Dinner is ready!"_

Said his mother. His father at the table. The image of his kitchen flickered from one scene to another place entirely. A familiar place. A place similar to the one he was viewing but with one clear difference. The people who resided in it. The man reading the newspaper did not look exactly like his father. The woman cooking did not look exactly like his mother. And there was a small figure in one of the usually empty chairs. The image of his mother turned to him as it flickered. When it fully turned, he was met with something that woke him from his slumber. Something recent. The faces in the room finally became clear.

" _How was your first day at your new school, Ise-kun~?"_

His **current** **family**.

 **-[!]-**

The strike did not reach him, because his eyes and gauntlet shined a green light, and his body launched himself away from his position to flipping in the air, landing and sliding across the ground on all fours like some sort of animalistic gymnast. All of those movements in one second. In order.

 **ZIN!**

 **DON!**

 **Skid!**

"What?!"

 **SHIN!**

The gauntlet released a light that became brighter and brighter.

"...I refuse…"

He lifted himself lifelessly (ghoulishly) with his arms limp and his head down.

"What?! What is happening?!"

Issei slowly lifted his head and his green eyes immersed the Stray in an immense subconscious fear that he felt through his skin.

"I refuse…..."

The Gear made its announcement. And Issei was engulfed by a pillar of green light.

 **[Boosted Gear - Gift!] [Second Liberation!]**

"...to die heeeeeeeeeree!"

 **SHIIIIIIIIN!**

The bright light flashed through the forest. The Gear began to change form. 10 Golden spikes emerged from it and certain parts became sharper. Golden runes shined around its jewel. A second jewel spawned beneath the first one. A pillar of green light shot out from Issei's body and into the sky. The facade of a Dragon presented itself before the Devil's eyes.

"What is this?! What are you?!"

 **[Explosion!]**

 **SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!**

[Partner! You have reached your second evolution! This is meant to be the final evolution of the Gear and yet you've reached it already! You've skipped any other prior evolutions that could have come before! As if it was forced out from the Gear strictly by your own will! I have never witnessed such a development! As I thought, your potential is that of a monster! Wait-! Do you feel that? Partner!]

Issei's power continued shooting into the sky. The strong gust lifted his clothes and made him seem like he was floating. Issei was now on autopilot. He lifted his gauntlet to aim straight at the Stray. He felt something building up within him. And his arm started to become heavy. Small particles of red light began to gather in the palm of his gauntlet.

"You-! You monster! Worthless beast! So you've finally decided to burn yourself with your power, and this child along with you?! You think you will kill me?! You think you will take my life- my purpose- from meeee?! I will kill you! It is I who will take yours! You worthless fiiieeeeend!"

The Stray flew towards Issei, recklessly.

[Partner!]

Issei did not answer. He kept his aim trained on the Devil who was quick approaching. A small ball of light no greater than a golf ball floated in his palm.

"You 'refuse to die'?! Even I-! More than someone like you-! FOR THE SAKE OF MY LORD! IT IS I, WHO REFUSES TO DIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!"

The Devil prepared to strike from above.

 **[Partner!]**

Until a red beam of energy engulfed his entire right half and shot out into the sky.

" **Shot**."

 **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

…..

…...

 **Sss** …

A sizzling sound. The dust slowly began to clear. The battlefield slowly became visible, along with the Devil who stood before Issei.

"...A...Ah.."

A small groan. When the dust cleared around the silhouette of the Devil, his body was fully revealed.

The entire right side of his torso, including half of his head, were gone.

"...Ah…..Lord…"

He dropped lifelessly to the ground.

 **Thud!**

…..

...

...

[You have won, Partner.]

….. **Thud!**..

Issei fell to his knees. His body felt amazing. He felt stronger than he ever has before. He felt adrenaline. Not a single trace of pain left. He felt aware. He felt awake. He felt alive. He felt like he could do anything.

But he felt weak.

His soul felt weak. His heart felt tired. His mind was exhausted. His head felt dizzy.

And most of all, he felt disgusted.

He had finally done it. He had killed a man. This person, that lie before him, was brutally killed. By his own hand. A child killed this man. Secretly. Never to be seen again, by anyone. Gone into night.

[Enough Partner. Close your heart to it. You mustn't allow these thoughts to prevent you from doing what is necessary. This Devil was nothing but a murderer. One who felt no hesitation to kill you. Show them no sympathy or compassion. For they will not show you.]

…..

"Where was it?! I didn't see the origin point!"

"It's still south! We have to keep going this way!"

"That red light-! It lit the entire sky! It had to have been a flare! Was someone calling for help?"

"They could be fireworks. There was a green light too."

A rustling was heard deep within the trees of the forest, followed by voices. The authorities.

[It seems our encounter was much too flashy. Hurry Partner. We must depart from here. I am not sure how long the power you've unlocked will last. All I know is your collapse will be painful and harsh. Especially considering that you fired a 'Dragon shot' in such a state. I suggest we use the opportunity to return to your home discreetly.]

Issei stood unsteadily. He quickly ran into a different part of the forest as he made to move around the group of police approaching.

'...What do I do now Ddraig?..'

[The same we have done before. Clean yourself. Though, do not expect the bruises to fade. I am sure you will be able to hide the bruises on your stomach, but not the marks of your strangling. Not for long at least. Not from that man. He is a tad too observant for it. You should come up with a story about an encounter with the man who attacked you. You may have wanted to avoid attention and not be considered a "hero" who saved that boy, but at this point we don't have a choice. The uncle of yours will find out if you try to hide it. So you'll just have to accept the attention.]

'What about his body? He's a Devil, what happens when they look at his insides?'

[A Reincarnated Devil's anatomy is extremely similar to a normal humans. They were once human after all. The only problem are most likely his wings. He did not have them extended at the time of his death, but even still, it is a problem indeed. Ultimately, however, I do not believe that it will become the greatest issue.]

'Why?..'

[Should a Devil happen to be searching for this Stray, which can be assumed, they will surely find a way to manipulate the situation themselves. If it appears that they have realized that these authorities are in possession of the body, they will most certainly interfere and not allow them to keep it for long. At least, the truth will most definitely not be found.]

'I can't believe I'm saying it….but let's hope there was one of them around…or finds out...'

[Agreed.]

It was over.

The Stray, nicknamed by Ddraig as "Zealous", was no more.

 **-DxD-**

"Nii-Nii! Aaaaah~"

Maki fed Issei a marshmallow while they sat on the couch.

They were at home. It had been a few days since the incident with the Stray Devil called Zealous. Immediately after the event, Issei returned to his home and secretly fixed himself enough to fool his family. In the morning, as they were requested, visited the Aichi prefectural police department in order to give Issei's full story. Issei fabricated a story involving the boy he saved in which he encountered and was attacked by the man who kidnapped the boy. He explained that the reason he did not state before that he was attacked during his encounter was because he did not see the man's face and decided it would make no difference, to which he was scolded for hiding that and his injury. Thankfully, they still believed the boy.

The police ended up "revealing" to him and his family that there was someone they found matching Issei's description as the suspect found dead that night. They were conducting an investigation to confirm whether this was their killer or not. Once they "realized" he was the killer, Issei got what was coming to him. He was rewarded.

"Ah! Look! Nii-Nii is on TV!"

Maki pointed at the Television which had a news programme playing on it. Arguably the programme that Maki's parents were waiting for as they walked from the kitchen to the living area. It showed footage of Issei receiving a medal.

[...The boy known as Hyoudou Issei, saved the young Satoru from his kidnapping and carried him towards his home which was miles away. He later provided a description of the suspect who attacked him, who was later confirmed to be the killer and found dead due to some sort of explosive. Hyoudou Issei was later rewarded with a medal by the Aichi's prefectural department commissioner for his bravery. He's received nationwide recognition and will be recognized by the prime minister for his efforts in an official event on Saturday.]

The killer was caught and the "autopsy was performed". But those humans did not actually have the body nor did they perform the autopsy. The beings who had the body merely made them think that they did.

Satoshi sighed from beside the couch.

"Issei-kun really has become a celebrity huh. Who would've thought he would receive this much attention? I would've assumed that it wouldn't step out beyond Aichi and the recognition would end with the medal, but now it's national news and we're going to meet the prime minister on Saturday for it. Honestly, who would've thought something like this would happen? It's so surreal. I can't help but have my pride overwhelmed by disbelief. It really doesn't feel real at all…..Well, at least Issei-kun has become a hero right?"

He smiled as he looked down at Issei. Akane sat down beside the children on the couch with a smile on her face.

"Your Mama and Papa would be proud of you."

She rubbed his head. Issei smiled sadly. When she removed her hand she gave him a stern look.

"But, like I said before, you can't ever do something like that again okay? I know what you did was amazing...but you can't go risking your life like that. You weren't even supposed to head off so far into Nagoya in the first place. You may have gotten lost on the way to whatever store you said you wanted to go to, but that doesn't mean you should keep walking farther and farther to find it. Just….don't do something that dangerous again okay?"

Issei nodded his head. Sometimes he forgot about the complex lies he ended up telling them to cover his story. Something caught his ear.

[-The details of the death regarding the killer have not been fully uncovered at this time, but the investigation will continue. As for the children that went missing, the authorities and the families of the children have been holding out hope that they will be found, but as of now the only assumption may be that the children..are no longer with us…..In other news, a scientific research facility in Tokyo has…]

Issei's eyes kept looking down at his hands lifelessly. The outcome was exactly as expected.

 **Ring - Ring!**

"Oh, Dear, that's probably Ise-kun's Sensei. He might've seen the programme by now."

"Hmph. Took him long enough. Doesn't that man ever watch the news? He's probably freaking out. Something like _Do you know how much publicity this is for the dojo?!_ Or something similar."

"Oh come now. Cut him some slack. It's a good thing anyway. If not for him Ise-kun may not have been able to get away from the man you know?"

" **Sigh**. I suppose."

Akane returned to the kitchen to wash dishes while Satoshi went to answer the phone. It was quite obvious what Issei's sensei's reaction was based on how Satoshi was keeping the phone from getting close to his ear.

"Nii-Nii! Tokatsu!"

Issei was snapped out of his daze and changed the channel back to a kid friendly programme she liked. Maki crawled into Issei's lap and brought her bag of marshmallows with her as she began eating. She offered Issei some but he didn't want anymore. As Maki lost herself in the programme, Issei could only think even more about the event. He still hasn't been able to sleep on it. Day by day, he remembers it clearly, over and over again. He softly caressed the large strangle bruise wrapped in bandages he received after going to the hospital the day after.

'...Neh...Ddraig…'

[What is it Partner?]

'I…..did a great thing didn't I?...'

[Mm. Indeed you did. An exceptional feat. Especially for your age. And that isn't even considering the _real_ feats you accomplished.]

'Yeah….you're right huh….I did a lot…..I unlocked a new evolution of my Gear….I killed a dangerous Stray Devil all by myself….I became much stronger and broke my limits, leaving more possibilities for the future…..unlocked a new ability….I skipped all the other potential evolutions….and the evolution that I reached is the last one before this [Balance Breaker] thing you mentioned…...I did some really amazing things for my age huh?...'

[Partner?]

'...Yet somehow….I don't feel proud of any of it…'

[...]

'You want me to be honest Ddraig?...You know what I'd rather have?...'

[What is that Partner?]

He looked up to the ceiling vacantly. A certain voice spoke in his head.

 **" _Hm? The children? It is obvious isn't it? I've been killing them."_**

… _..._

'...That this all...never happened in the first place.…'

 _Issei felt an ambiguously heavy weight upon his shoulders from that day forth._

 **End**

* * *

 **Damn. That's a conclusion I can sit with. First two conclusions really weren't satisfactory. Glad I came up with this one. So yes, Issei wins and he essentially becomes a national hero. Don't think that's over the top or anything. It isn't unbelievable. Shit like that happens in the real world. Not the Devil shit but the public hero shit. I mean think about it, there are some fuckin crazy people out there who just do the most courageous shit. I'd say the most recent example is that man Shawn who saved all those people in a McDonald's by fighting off an active shooter. AND he raised a shit ton of money for the victims and went on TV saying he wasn't a hero. What a fucking legend. Point is, the idea of some young kid saving another kid from a kidnapper and walking home with him is not the craziest shit that could happen. It happens in our world a lot too. And of course most of those people are recognized nationally for their actions. Same with Issei, especially since he's so young. So he's a little famous. I mean he ain't gonna become some sort of international star but people will know of his name for a couple years I would guess. One of those things ya know? Especially since these kinda things don't happen in Japan.**

 **Also, there wasn't a lot of actual fighting in this chapter when you think about it. But y'know that's intentional. You see, this chapter had to be more centered on strategy and tactics because in terms of pure battle prowess Issei was just NO match for Zealous. Issei had to make use of all of his cunning. And you can see that when he's finally hit by Zealous and taken down in ONE HIT. Zealous was a [Rook] after all. He excels in brute strength and he was strong enough to kill his master and the rest of his peerage with just brute force. And he only became stronger when the restrictions on his strength were removed thanks to becoming free. So there's just NO WAY Issei could've won normally. If not for that evolution to his gear and the fact that Zealous was so crazy that he allowed himself to become inevitably weaker for the sake of his religion, he would have died. An evolution he forced out using only his will. It takes quite the monstrous possessor to do that, especially at that age. Issei's potential is quite the thing.**

 **Also, something funny I just realized, but Issei ended winning against zealous and unlocking a power that would've helped him defeat Zealous much easier in the first place if he had it. If he had gift already then all he would have had to do was transfer enough power through the cross with his strike like he did with Raiser in cannon. Cruel irony.**

 **Anyway, tell me guys what you thought about everything. Did you like the way the fight went down? Did you enjoy the Stray known as Zealous as a villain? Did you like the conclusion? Did you like this mini arc? Did you like Maki? Lol yeah right everyone loves Maki. It's the law.**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**

 **[P.S. Zealous obviously isn't his real name but you can call him that. For all intents and purposes.]**


	6. Chapter 6: The Suspicious Boy

**Hey Guys, we're back. Alright, so we're gonna have a major, MAJOR timeskip here. A timeskip….of 3 months. Lmao. So just a little tiny skip here since, I'm sure it wouldn't make sense to make whole chapters on his daily life. I mean I put those little moments in there but that's just icing on the cake. Maki loves cake.**

 **Anyway, just wanna apologize for any impatient readers out there. No one has ever complained about it, but I just wanted to make sure and apologize in advance to any readers who are really itching to get to the Cannon events in Kuoh. All of these events and experiences that are shown are very important to Issei's character and development as a Gear user. I can't give too much insight besides what you read yourselves, but I can tell you right now that Issei is not going to be as weak as he is in Cannon when he reaches the LN timeline. Shocker right, I know. But the point of this story is exactly to subvert your expectations of this genre of 'Issei being a strong Sekiryuutei before Cannon'. So I'm not just going to skim over everything that makes him the person he is in the future or the warrior he becomes. So even though it's gonna take a little while for us to reach Cannon, it's all for the purpose of properly justifying how Issei will be in the future without Time skipping and flashing back randomly like all of the other stories on this genre are like. And unlike the betrayal story genre, I'm not as much trying to prove a point as I am trying to give a template for what to do. When I made my betrayal story it was to prove that the stories that come from that genre can actually be complex and make sense. Meanwhile here, it's more of a way to give advice through storytelling essentially. See, cuz most writers don't know how to make a story like this with completely original events and I don't blame them at all. It's honestly extremely difficult for the average writer. I'm good with it, but I can definitely understand why so many authors just skip over Issei's past. It's really hard to create an original narrative/dynamics and then relate those to future events. I mean, not bragging, but to me it's quite simple because I already know the storyline I'm leading up to, but for many it's just really hard to write a whole other story on top of another (and connect them). That's kind of why original stories are so revered in the community. It's hard as shit. Even for me it sometimes becomes quite difficult. It's ssoooooooo easy to get writers block for such a story. I don't because I have burning passions for my stories that I use to the fullest extent, but I get why other authors do. So basically what I mean is that I want this story to kind of be used as an example for people who don't know what to do when it comes to these stories. The best way to give a helping hand is just to show them.**

 **Lastly, just a little self advertisement here, but have you read my story Red Dragon Of Of Golden Light? I would hope that you do. I don't usually advertise my stories aside from a simple "check out my others", but I've honestly become so unbelievably proud of what that story has become and what it** _ **will**_ **become. It is truly the greatest story I have ever written in every aspect. It has become my own little masterpiece, my personal magnum opus. So much led up to the latest chapter (20) and it all paid off beautifully. That chapter alone elevated the story to a higher level and it will only become greater from that point on. It sparked a new fire of passion for all of my writing and is definitely the best chapter of any of my stories (also longest 27,000 words holy). And pretty much everyone seems to agree since I've received the most reviews for that story, they were all positive, and started gaining followers and favorites like crazy. I'm not surprised. That chapter really was phenomenal.**

 **Regardless, best story I've got, hope you read it, love ya, let's get into this one.**

* * *

 **-SCENE-**

"...Nnn…."

Early morning. Aikawa residence. A certain brown haired boy groaned a bit as he woke up. He was lying on his belly with his face in the pillow. His eyes fluttered open. He couldn't help but immediately notice the odd weight he felt on his back.

"...Nii…"

His little cousin was sleeping peacefully on top of his back like a baby Koala.

"Ah…"

He quickly realized what this meant.

"I've been captured…"

It looked like he wasn't going to move from his spot in quite a while.

 **Gyeeeerooo~**

His stomach growled.

"Uuuuuu..."

He wishes he hadn't woken up just yet.

"...Mm...Nii...I wuv you…"

She cooed in her sleep.

"Mm."

He nodded his head without remorse.

'Worth it.'

 **-DxD-**

In a certain gymnasium, many children dressed in white robes were gathered along in a line, standing side by side. They were facing the center of the gymnasium with the bleachers to their backs. Straight across from them, on the opposite side of the gym, was a line of adults standing together in a similar fashion. They all had a variety of colored belts on. Standing in the center of the gym was a man with white robes and a black belt.

Today, was the promotion ceremony for the many students of "Kiritsugu Academy".

[ **San-kyu**. **Satoji, ren.** ]

 **Clap Clap Clap Clap!**

As the Sensei known as Kiritsugu announced a name over the microphone, an adult male from the adult side walked to the center to receive his blue belt and was met with applause from those in the audience.

Many people were gathered for the ceremony. The bleachers were quite full. And somewhere in those bleachers was a familiar family of 3. The Father held a camera and was recording the event while the mother held her hyper, young daughter in her lap. There was also a familiar boy sitting beside them.

The Sensei announced a few more students from the adults side until those being promoted were finished. Once they were finished, he moved onto the Junior Kyu side full of children. And one of the very first, and best students he announced, walked to center.

[ **Yon-kyu. Hyoudou Issei!** ]

 **Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap!**

 **~Whistle~**

Issei received his blue belt from his master and bowed respectfully. His master reciprocated and he returned to his spot. His exchange was met with many cheers and claps. Even his Sensei announced him with more enthusiasm than before. It would've been unusual for some random child to receive the most attention there, but Issei was not some random child. He was a mini hero.

It had already been 3 months since the incident involving the Stray Devil "Zealous", but there were still many people who knew of Issei's existence. He had received national attention thanks to the prime minister's decision to award him with yet another medal for his bravery. The publicity was a bit ridiculous to be honest. There were many articles and news pieces about him, only giving him more and more attention. If it wasn't for the fact that the prime minister decided to recognize him for his actions, he probably would've just been a local name thanks to the Aichi prefectural police. Some articles even suggested that the only reason the prime minister recognized him was because it was a publicity stunt since he was going through some sort of scandal at the time.

Whatever it was, it's irrelevant. What does matter is that Hyoudou Issei was a well known name now. Not celebrity status, but surely if you would ask some person, in most of Japan, of his name they would answer with "that boy who saved that other kid from a serial killer?". At the very least, everyone in his neighborhood/school/community definitely knew who he was. So his attention was merited.

The belt ceremony continued on with the rest of the Junior students and came to a close.

 **Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap!**

 **[Speech]**

The audience clapped with the closing of the ceremony and began speaking while clearing out from the bleachers. Students met with their families while many were greeting each other, taking pictures, and chatting before they left.

"Nii-Niiii~!"

Issei approached his family with the first to greet him being Maki who threw herself into his arms happily. His family was accompanied by one of his friends, Narutobi, and another entire family. The family consisted of a mother, father, and 2 son's. One of the 2 son's being familiar as well. His name was Satoru Inoue.

"Mr. & Mrs. Inoue, Satoru-kun! You guys came!"

Ms. Inoue smiled sweetly.

"Of course! We wouldn't miss it for the world."

It went without saying, but the Inoue family was unbelievably grateful to Issei. He did save their important family member after all. So attending the event for them wasn't much, if anything, it was an honour.

"Did you properly record it, Satoshi?"

"Yes, yes dear I've got it."

"We also recorded it just in case."

Mr. Inoue held up his camera while Satoshi checked his own footage. Issei's sensei, Kiritsugu, began to approach the group.

"Oi, Issei! The Aikawa's too. Oh, could this be the family of _the boy who was saved_?"

"Nice to meet you."

"Hello."

Kiritsugu greeted and shook hands with the Inoue parents. He began conversing with Issei's parents while Issei patted the head of Maki, who was karate chopping the air with Issei's old belt on her forehead like a bandana.

"So, Issei told us that you plan on having him train competitively."

Kiritsugu smiled smugly at Satoshi's statement.

"Indeed. Issei has already climbed his way to 4th Kyu just short of his 3 years in training. It's true that in our dojo it's possible to skip Orange belt if proven to have enough skill, like Issei, but even so his improvement is ridiculous. He's shown more proficiency in training than most of my adult students. It'd be a serious waste to not have him compete anywhere. Especially since Issei wants to promote as quickly as possible. If he starts accumulating points fast enough he'll reach Shodan in only a few years. It's honestly unfair! Many of my students lose confidence you know? He's practically a **monster** in a little boy's body!"

Issei flinched subtly when a certain word caught his ear. Akane frowned.

"That's rude to say Kiritsugu-sensei."

"Ahahahaha. Sorry. It's actually a compliment, but I just can't help feeling proud you know? He really is one of the youngest children to achieve 4th Kyu from what I've seen. Not to mention, all the publicity he got from the _incident_ brought a lot of attention to my dojo. Er...although, I probably shouldn't be happy about it turning out that way. Ahem."

Kiritsugu cleared his throat.

"Ah, that's right. Issei told me that he plans on studying another Martial art as well?"

Satoshi nodded.

"Yeah. He told us he wants to study at the Tai Chi dojo not too far from here. He wants to do it at the same time he studies Judo."

Kiritsugu crossed his arms.

"Hmm. I wouldn't suggest that. It's much better to focus on one at a time. There are actually many dojo masters who won't even take on students who try to take on more than one at a time. If it's Issei then I have a hunch he could accomplish it somehow, but I still wouldn't recommend it. And I definitely don't want some random Chinese dojo stealing my best pupil!"

Issei sweat dropped at his passionate reaction.

"Hey, Kiritsugu!"

There was a pair of man calling from behind Kiritsugu, near the entrance.

"Ah, looks like I gotta run. I might as well use this chance to thank Souichirou-san for letting us use the gym for the ceremony. Goodbye for now. Issei, remember, no dojo this weekend. I'll see you soon."

"Bye Sensei!"

Kiritsugu made off towards the pair of men while Issei waved him off. Satoshi smiled.

"Alright then, let's go home now shall we? Inoue-san, we're going off to have dinner in celebration. Would you four like to join us?"

Mrs. & Mr. Inoue smiled back.

"Ara, We'd love to."

"Yes, I suppose we could. Come on boys."

The group made their way outside to their respective vehicles. Issei opened the car door for his little cousin and felt a gaze on him right before he followed her in.

[Partner.]

Issei perked up his head and peered past the car door around the parking lot.

His eyes caught on to 2 figures off in the distance. 2 men.

"Hm? What's up Issei-kun? Are you looking for something?"

"Eh?"

Satoshi called out to him from the driver's seat. Issei turned to his gaze momentarily, and when he turned back-.

They were gone.

"..."

Issei entered the car and sat beside his cousin. He looked out the window to the spot where the men were last standing in.

'...Ddraig...who...what were they?...'

[I don't have that range Partner. I do not know.]

'...Were they human?...'

[No.]

'...'

 **-DxD-**

"Kyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah~!

 **DDDROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

Many cries and shouts were heard followed by the sound of roaring roller coasters.

Today was the celebration of Issei's brave achievement from the Zealous incident. The dinner from the day before was the celebration for Issei's promotion in Judo. But Satoshi had been saving up money for a couple months so that the family could celebrate by having fun at an amusement park.

Here we see said family walking through the park together with prizes and food in their hands. Maki, who was skipping happily while eating cotton candy and holding hands with her beloved cousin, pointed at an arcade.

"Ah! Nii-Nii! I wanna race at games!"

Issei smiled and quickly took a bite from Maki's cotton candy.

"Mm. Yeah, let's go there, Oba-san, Oji-san."

"Mou! Nii-Nii! My pink fluffy! Ha-nom!"

Maki began furiously nibbling on Issei's shoulder like a hamster, though it didn't hurt one bit. Satoshi laughed.

"Ahahaha, alright, let's go you two."

The family walked into the arcade to play various games. Maki and Issei ran straight to play the different racing games in the arcade. Issei won most of the time, prompting Maki to keep nibbling on his shoulder in retaliation. Satoshi and Akane simply observed them from the tables right outside while ordering some food. Satoshi did not split his gaze from the two children very often, if at all. Their food arrived. A voice was heard from behind Satoshi as they began eating.

"Fuck this, just do it. He ain't lookin' away."

"Wha-?"

Before Satoshi could turn around, he spotted a man standing behind his wife. Then, a finger spawned a small light from behind his neck and his mind suddenly went on autopilot and his eyes looked empty.

"There. Now he ain't gonna look our way."

" _Isn't_. You're a High-Class aren't you? Speak properly. It's a bad habit of yours."

"Yeah, Yeah."

The two men walked away from the unmoving parents.

"MMouu! Nii-Nii! Let me win!"

"Ahahahahaha, sorry Maki-chan. I'm just too good at these games."

Issei bragged as he got off of the the seat from the arcade racing game he was playing. He walked to stand beside Maki's seat.

"Here Maki-chan. You go ahead and play one on your own. I'll just watch."

Maki pouted as she accepted some coins from Issei.

"Mmm! Fine! Maki will show you! I will win first!"

She began playing the racing game with a new determination that Issei found adorable. She hardly even fit in the seat and had to really reach out with her little foot to touch the pedal below. Issei stood beside her seat with a hand on the chair and spectated her.

Until, the voice of 2 young men halted his thoughts and shut all of the sound from the world out.

" **Hm? This him?** "

" **Yes. It would seem so.** "

 **-[?!]-**

[Hm? What is i— ?!- Partner!]

Issei felt chills up his spine as his instincts overwhelmed all of his senses. His grip on the seat beside him increased brutally. Almost until his hands were on the verge of bleeding.

His gaze was dead set on the screen Maki played on. The reflection of the men became clear. One adult man with a proper professional appearance and dark skin. As well as green hair and pointy ears. Beside him was a young teenage boy, not far from Issei's age, who resembled a delinquent. His upper half was shirtless and had some black tattoos on it. He also had green hair and pointy ears. The older man stood properly with a stoic expression. The younger boy slouched and kept his hands in his pockets like a delinquent.

They both were _not human_.

"Hah? This is it? You sure this is him? Little shit doesn't seem like much."

"This is unmistakably him. His description fits perfectly. There is something subtle seeping off of his being as well. Do you feel nothing emanating from him?"

"Hm? Not really."

"Then you are still incompetent. We'll do something about that later. For now, we must evaluate him properly. We do not yet know if he is still dormant."

"Hm? Oy, is it just me, or has the little shit noticed?"

The older man's gaze met Issei's through the monitor reflection.

"Indeed he has….There's clue number 1."

 _Chills_

For some reason Maki shivered. She felt the instinct to turn around. She peered around her seat and saw the 2 men.

"...Nii-Nii….Who-"

Maki turned to her cousin and froze.

Issei was silent and dark shadows covered his expression. His eyes were the only feature that peeked through the darkness.

As if they were a pitch black color, they held only darkness and….one other thing.

Up until the Zealous incident, Issei's instinctual response to danger was fear. Fear for his life and for the lives of others. Yet somehow, now that something that mattered to him more than anything was threatened—

 _His dark eyes were burning with killing intent_.

"Oy, Oy…..this little shit….why's he makin' my hairs stand on end? That shit ain't funny. Human's ain't supposed to be able to do that.."

"Such bloodlust for a little boy….There's clue number 2….could that mean you feel us, boy?.."

[Feign ignorance fool! Now!]

….

"W-Who are you?"

Issei turned with a fearful expression.

"Hoh? Convincing….but those eyes….There's still something in there…"

Just as the older man's hand was about to reach out-.

 **Tap**

A hand landed on the shoulder of him.

"Excuse me."

He turned to find a serious Satoshi.

"Can I help you?"

They did not answer….

"Hmph."

The older man scoffed and began to walk away.

"Let's go."

The teenage delinquent followed him as he walked away. Satoshi turned to the children.

"Are you two alright?"

"Papa!"

Maki got off of her seat and hugged onto her father fearfully. She quickly pulled Issei in and held onto him as well. He smiled and patted upon her head.

"Come on. Let's go with your mother. We'll make sure to let security know about the suspicious figures."

Issei peered behind Satoshi one last time. He could see the 2 figures slowly becoming more and more distant…

'Ddraig?...'

[High-Class Devils…]

—.

"What the hell's up with that? How'd that guy…..my magic ain't weak ya know?"

"I know. I myself do not understand it fully. That is something he should not have been able to break from. I have seldom heard of such a thing occurring. Though...there was once that our elder brother recounted a similar event with a human he once met..."

"Big bro? What'd he say?"

"Not much. Simply: _He was not just a fool, so it did not work._ "

"Hah? The hell's that supposed to mean? It works on smart people just fine doesn't it?"

"Hm….perhaps not his intellect? If it were his instincts he would have already known we were there. In that case…..it may have been something to do with what our brother believed in."

"Huh?"

"As he always used to say: _A strong willed fool will always best the halfhearted genius. Should you meet a **strong willed** **genius** , then simply give up._"

"What the Hell kinda lesson is that? Of course it was that lazy bastard who said that. And how come you know so many of his fuckin quotes anyway? You write them all down or something?"

"I value the teachings of the wiser. You should too. It would serve you well, little brother."

"Tch. Yeah, well I ain't a sheep like you. I do my own thing."

"It is precisely that attitude which paints you as a delinquent amongst the higher ups."

"Ha! Let those shitty geezers think what they want. As if I care. Anyway, who cares about them. How come we're the ones who did this? How come **Gremory** didn't handle this? Didn't they just get some fuckin territory in this buck ass place?"

"Nay. Their newly acquired territory is a bit off from here. Not far, but this is beyond their 'jurisdiction'. Do you not remember? It was the place that was attacked. The one that has no leads outside of it possibly being the Old-Maou supporters."

"Ah, that shit? I forgot all about that. I ain't into no conspiracy shit so I wasn't interested. The 'Old-fashioned side' from the war is dead. There ain't no way they came up to start some shit again right? Cuz then they'd just be **_terrorists_** or something. Plus, ain't nobody strong enough to do what they did. It's probably just one of the other sides like the crows or something."

"In any case, I doubt they would have had Lord Gremory see for himself either way. He may have just sent his servants. Or perhaps the **Maou** himself would. But this is a good learning experience for you. So it's better that we volunteered."

"Che! Yeah, thanks for volunteering me, bro. So what about the kid then?"

"I do not know. At first I believed him to be dormant, but somehow it felt as if part of his being was starting to touch my skin."

"What? You mean like an aura? Bullshit. Humans can't do that. Not normal ones at least."

"Indeed. Perhaps I was mistaken. Nevertheless, I felt a _spike_ when he caught glimpse of us. Those eyes of his…..His confusion and ignorance was convincing….but I felt that I could see a deep seeded hatred in his eyes…..yet the odd impression around him seemed to fade when he looked upon us….As I thought, it must be subconscious. The clues lead me to believe that he most definitely unlocked something in his encounter with the Stray. He must not be consciously aware of it, but he is subconsciously aware of _us_. The hatred must be a sort of residue from the initial trigger. His encounter was one filled with fear, but as time passed it gestated and became hatred. I wonder..."

"So then what do we do about it? Just leave him like that? You think he'll forget about it?"

"No. I believe that his power will present itself once again, he will become aware of it, and he may become a bit of an eyesore. From what it seems, I didn't sense anything significant from him, so we can assume that it's a third-rate Gear. I suppose we'll just report this. I suspect that the higher ups will not care much for it. They may wave it off and order us to forget about it without consulting the Maou or other officials. They do not care for this new tradition of _Reincarnation_ , in fact they loathe it, so they will most likely want to avoid bringing it to that at all costs. They don't like the idea of ' _continuing to infect the populace with such low rate beings_ ' any further. Even if it means that he would become a nuisance in the future. I expect that we won't be asked to see him ever again."

"Heh. Shitty geezers always doin' shitty things. Whatever. I don't care. This mission was boring anyway. Reconnaissance sucks. I could care less if we ever came back to this place."

"Enough lazing. Fix your slouch. You are a High-Class. Present yourself with dignity. There may come a day when you must represent our household yourself. I also aim to become a Maou after **Falbium** after all. So it's possible that could not be too many decades off."

"Ha! Becoming the next heir? With you around? Yeah, I doubt it. The only way I become heir is if you die or some shit and that ain't happening any time soon."

"Think optimistically, **Zephyrdor**. Life is unpredictable."

"Yeah, Yeah. Whatever bro."

 **-DxD-**

Later that night. Aikawa residence.

Issei was watching a television programme with his little cousin sitting in his lap. He was still thinking deeply on the events that transpired at the amusement park.

'...Neh...Ddraig. What do you think will happen?'

[I do not know Partner. I would hope that they would simply forget about you. If not for the fact that I focused every fiber of my consciousness to lowering the prominence of your Gear then they would most likely have become too interested in us. That would have turned to be the problem. The only reason I was able to pull it off was because you have been making drastic improvements to your strength and instincts. Regardless, it was an extremely difficult task and I couldn't eliminate the presence entirely. Thanks to your malice of course.]

'..Sorry...I….I don't know what came over me…'

[Oh? Well, believe it or not Partner, but hearing you admit that only sets me at ease _even less_ than before.]

'...Sorry…'

[Well, that's enough worrying about it. What I am more concerned with is whether you felt the presence of those Devils or not.]

'Hm? Ah, Yeah I think I did. I felt it the moment they spoke. Like if the something clicked.'

[I see. Good. But not good enough. You should've felt their presence from the moment they entered your range, even if that range is small. Noticing them when they are that close, it's unacceptable. Especially for High-Class Devils, who are not only more dangerous, but even easier to notice because of their power. What do you believe would have happened if they were hostile? That child sitting in your grasp, they would-]

'Stop.'

[...Very well. As long as you understand, that is what is important.]

'Yeah….I get it…'

[Good. We must continue to hone your instincts. Despite what happened, in a way this is good. The more you encounter beings of a higher power, the more your instincts develop naturally. We can work on it ourselves from here. Animals and Humans should do well as subjects.]

'Subjects?'

[We will do some practice-]

"Kids! Time for bedtime~"

[Hmph. Well, that is your summons. We will speak more later, boy.]

'As I thought, you do call me that when you're belittling me.'

[I have no idea what you are referring to, boy.]

Issei and Maki stood from the couch and began making their way upstairs. Issei turned off the lights on their way. Akane was standing at the doorway to the master bedroom, waiting for the children to come up.

"Brush your teeth."

Maki groaned as her and Issei proceeded to brush their teeth in the restroom. When they finally finished they walked out into the hallway and Akane turned off the light.

"Alright. Good night kids."

"Night Mama."

"Night Oba-san."

Maki turned to Issei and stood on her tippy toes. Issei smiled as he bent down a bit to receive his nightly kiss on the cheek.

"Night Nii-Nii!"

"Night Maki-chan."

Maki ran off to her room and all 3 of them collectively shut the doors to their rooms as they gave their good nights.

…..

Only a few short minutes passed until the door to Maki's room clicked open.

 **Dakun** ….

"...Nii-Nii~..."

She whispered into the hallway.

…..

A light sigh could be heard from behind Issei's bedroom door.

 **Dakun** ….

His door slid open quietly, leaving it only slightly ajar.

Maki smiled brightly and began scurrying across the ground in her pink onesie pajamas to Issei's door. She slipped in.

 **Dakun** …

….

(Satoshi…)

(Yes dear. I heard it...)

(Hehehehe~)

And with that, the residents fell asleep.

 **End**

* * *

 **There we are. Alright, now I can get to A Fool's Heart. Lol. Every time I finish a chapter to a story I can only think about the next chapter for it and the next chapter for the next story I gotta work on next. And in only just realized it now, but I fucking consistently write 4 stories at the same time holy shit. HAHA. Never even thought about it. And these aren't some half assed stories either, they're pretty big stories with heavy topics and themes and all this shit I gotta write in and consistently uphold. I have to read back my own chapters back a lot just to make sure everything connects well. It's crazy now that I think about it. Are there any other authors who do the same? I know one author who has like 5 stories but he updates them all at the same time with months in between updates from what I've seen. So it's not really the same. I can't imagine an author doing more. They're actually insane if they do.**

 **Anyway, how'd you guys like that twist? I tried to write it so that there were clues all over the place but it wasn't obvious, so that if you come back and read it you'll be like "OH SHIT". As for Zephyrdor's age, in the LN it is never truly stated, but it is assumed he is not far from age when compared to Issei. I decided to make him a few years older. Somewhere around 3+ years. At this time he would be 12 while Issei is around 3 months from being 9. Ah, little thing here: some people asked me about what Maki looks like, I've already given a description, but here's a better one now that she's a bit more grown (6 yrs old in 2 months): short brown hair that doesn't go past her chin, green eyes, small body, a little fang on the left side of her mouth and usually always smiling. Her original appearance is actually based off of a mini** _ **Maekawa Miku**_ **from** _ **Idolmaster**_ **. (Also, yes, she has healed from her Pneumonia)**

 **Also, just cuz the Devils are out of the picture temporarily doesn't mean Issei ain't gonna keep seeing some shit. He's gotta keep suffering. Unfortunately for him, he is the one who weeps. Mostly because I'm just a sick fuck. Speaking of which, I recently revealed in my latest chapter of Red Dragon Of Golden Light why exactly Issei was referred to as "The Fool" in both RD of GL and A Fool's Heart, and of course the reason was explained in more detail, but the main reason was because of the Tarot card the Fool. There's actually a parallel in this story as well. And that's "The Tower".** _ **Upright, the Tower indicates a sudden change into a time of great turmoil and destruction, which will eventually bring with it change and regeneration. Reversed, however, the Tower card indicates that you are simply delaying the necessary 'destruction'. You need to go through this difficult time in order to learn an important lesson. Do not resist it. Even though it is shocking and hard to deal with, it is a very important part of your life journey**_ **." This is the perfect representation for the Issei in this story. Whether he will represent the tower upright, or upside down, that's what the story is for. He will suffer and in that suffering we will find the answer to that question.**

 **So yeah, tell me what you guys thought. Did you expect the Devils to be who they were? What do you think Issei is going to encounter next? What do you** _ **want**_ **to see him encounter? Has Issei changed since Zealous? Based on his reaction to the Devils, is Issei** _ **beginning**_ **to change? Is Satoshi kind of badass? Will Issei become a master martial artist? Do you think this is the last we'll** _ **ever**_ **hear from the Devils? Is something else going to come look for Issei?**

 **P.S. Did I freak you out when the Devils showed up around Issei's family? Did I scare you? Lmao. Suffer.**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**


	7. Chapter 7: Burning Hatred

**Alright, back at it again. Now, I have to warn you guys, but there's going to be even more time skips from now on. Not because I'm rushing the story, this was all a part of the original plan, but I just kinda feel I've gotta let you know that it's necessary for the story. Just like I said before, Issei's daily life, despite what has (and will be) happened/happening is very peaceful. There are usually long gaps in between the incidents that he encounters. These chapters are essentially just the (mostly negative) highlights of his life as a Sacred Gear user. Otherwise it would just be a slice of life.**

 **Regardless, as I've said, be patient. I'm not gonna rush pivotal development towards Issei as a warrior or a person simply because there are a couple readers who want Cannon to come sooner. But if it's any consolation, we should be reaching cannon in about 4 or 5 chapters at most. Just a little estimate. Who knows, it may be sooner. Since there are going to be some chapters coming up that will be longer than usual chapters and will have more than one timeskip in them so there's that.**

 **P.S. If you're wondering whether Issei will encounter any Fallen Angels, Sacred Gear users, Church members, etc. Then Yeah, ha, he will.**

* * *

 **-SCENE-**

"Bam! Bam! Win, Ratin-chan!"

It was morning in the Aikawa Household. It had been a full 2 years since the incident involving "Zealous". Issei was now 10 and a half years of age.

On the couch, sat Issei with the small girl named Maki (now aged 8), in his lap, cheering for the hero of the Tokusatsu show they were watching. They were both dressed properly with backpacks by their sides. Their attire would imply that they were going somewhere.

[Nnngh! So this is the monster from the East! I must use my Ratin-soun to defeat it!]

"Uuu…"

Maki suddenly became a bit uneasy while watching her show. It was at the mention of "the monster".

"Ah... Let's watch something else."

Issei changed the channel almost immediately. Maki was scared. And he knew what it was that spooked her.

There was a certain monster in the show known as the ["Monster from the East"]. Being just a young girl Maki, was afraid of a few things. The loud sound of thunder, earthquakes, the dark, and "monsters"— most like any average girl her age. She could stand the fear of the natural occurrences like the quakes, thunder, and dark, as long as Issei was around. The problem was the monsters. She seemed to have an odd fear of monstrous beings. Issei had believed it was a normal fear— until recently.

Issei wondered why it had taken him so long to realize, but there was a deep reason for it. It explained why Maki's parents, especially Satoshi, could always tell that Issei had just used his Boosted Gear moments before interacting with them. They would tell him that he had a different "air" to him. Ddraig explained that there were people in the world who were more "aware" than others, when it came to the supernatural— Spiritually aware.

—In other words, Maki's family were "spiritual mediums".

This worried Issei greatly. If the family was more spiritually aware than most, then that meant they were all the more susceptible to the supernatural. They could more easily be detected or found. It was no wonder that Satoshi had broken whatever "spell" those Devils placed him under. Not only was he a genius, but he was a "medium". This did not put Issei in a wonderful situation when it came to his secret weapon known as a Sacred Gear.

Regardless, Maki's fear of monsters and other beings was more than just an irrational, childish fear, it was part of her natural instincts as a medium. Just his luck. Now he can't ever take the risk of letting Maki sleep alone until he reaches a level of strength where he can instantly awaken himself to any threat within a 50 meter radius. That could be overkill, but he wouldn't take the chance.

"Uuu…. East is scary, Nii-Nii…"

Maki whimpered a bit while curling up in Issei's lap.

Issei's mind drifted to the monsters he's encountered in comparison to the fake monster from the show. The Nightwalker, the "Demon chimps", The large "white beast", the beast that distorted time, even "Zealous".

Then, there's the one from the show. It's just a man in a plastic and rubber costume that resembles some sort of exoskeleton armor. If he recalls, it's meant to be something like a bug, but the exoskeleton armor is colored purple and red and hardly even covers his whole body. So, it more resembles an exoskeleton from science fiction with the design of bug shelling. The worst part, that Issei finds a little tasteless, only because it scares Maki, is that the monster from the East is said to "eat" people. Because he's a bug. He supposes that it would be an actually intimidating villain, if not for the fact that it's never truly implied or shown that he does eat anyone, since it is a kids show. But either way, the idea of it alone bothers Issei, especially since it's in a kids show. The idea irks him in general.

To experience death by being devoured….

He remembers the "Demon chimps" clearly. Those small beasts who were eating people while sitting in a tree. —It disgusted him. All of the media that portrays people being devoured by various monsters. They don't even know the half of it. He could never look at such media with clean eyes again. What a horrible fate. The worst death imaginable.

….

— _The image of a severed hand with a ring on it flashes in his mind._

….

"Yeah…."

He pats Maki's head.

"It is scary, isn't it….."

He prays to the God that cursed him with his Boosted Gear, that _their_ deaths were not similar...

"Kids~! Time to go~!"

Akane called out to the children from beyond the living room. The two stood up from the couch, picked up their backpacks, and walked out of the living area. Satoshi and Akane were waiting at the entrance.

"Come on, come on. Obaa-chan wants to see you. We shouldn't keep her waiting."

Akane nudged the kids out while Satoshi closed and locked up the door. The family hopped into the car and made off towards their destination.

"Mama! Obaa-chan is gonna like Nii-Nii?"

"Yes, honey, I imagine she will."

Maki hopped in her seat while Issei stared vacantly out the window. He was the only silent one in the car.

The family was currently making their way to see Maki's grandparents home, Akane's parents, and stay there for a couple days. Issei has never met them. Usually, he would stay over at a friend's house while they went on their long drive visit to the grandparents house. But, this time was different.

"Issei-kun."

Satoshi called out to Issei from the driver's seat, snapping him from his thoughts.

"Thank you for coming. I know it might be hard. Just tell me if you ever feel uncomfortable. I'll bring you home if I have to."

"Mm."

Issei answered with a nod.

The reason Issei never accompanied them on their trips to that house was because it was in the T-prefecture. A certain town resided in that place. That's house of Akane's parents— was just beyond the edges of Kuoh's outskirts.

It was nowhere near his home, which was towards the center, but he would be able to see the whole place from afar, if he looked. The only reason he came, was for Maki. But he did not feel any less uneasy.

In fact, he decided to take a nap in the car.

At least then, he wouldn't be able to see it, out in the distance, as they closed in.

* * *

 _ **Ding** - ** _Dong_ ~**_

Satoshi rung the bell of the house the family was outside of. Steps were heard a few seconds after. Then, the door opened.

 _ **Dakun!**_

"Ara~ it looks like our guests have arrived."

"Obaa-chan!"

Maki ran to hug her grandmother who greeted them at the door.

"Ohohoho~ I have missed you too, Maki-chan."

Akane hugged her mother, followed by her husband afterwards.

"Hi, Okaa-san."

"Good to see you, Okaa-sama."

"Oh~ Akane. And Satoshi as well, it's so good to see you."

Issei stood on the sidelines while they all interacted. He still did not feel that he belonged.

"Okaa-sama. This is Issei-kun. He is the son of the Hyoudou's."

Satoshi gestured to Issei behind him. The Grandmother's attitude became sullen upon realizing him.

"...Oh, hello, sweet dear. Come closer."

The Grandmother hugged Issei sweetly and rubbed his back.

"Such a sweet boy. You have your mother's eyes."

Issei felt an unbelievable tightness in his chest. The woman reminded him of his own grandmother. His father and Satoshi's mother. It hurt to remember her. It hurt for both him and Satoshi.

His grandmother was never the same after the funeral services. Now, she is vacant, and usually unresponsive. She seldom remembers things that are not recalled to her by others. She treats Issei with sweetness and always sings to him. Yet, there are times when she wonders why Issei always visits without his parents.

It hurt to remember her.

"Now, now. Come on in. Akane, your father is in the kitchen. Let's not keep him waiting."

The entered the house, and with that, their stay began.

* * *

"Haah!— Hah! —Hah!"

It was early morning. Issei was taking a light jog. Usually, people his age wouldn't be exercising in such ways, but Issei was not "normal", after all.

[That should be enough, don't you think, partner?]

Issei gradually came to a stop. He took a seat on a bench after drinking from a fountain. He looked around the area, but there was not much to see. It was quite a foggy morning. The most he could see was a few meters down. There was a forest right ahead of him.

[You have been overworking a bit, haven't you, partner?]

"...Hm…"

[Well, at the very least, know when you've reached your limit. You may be able to boost up to 10 times, but the more energy you exert over time while using that power, it will drain your stamina.]

"I know... That's why I'm trying to improve that now…"

[Yes, I know. But, you tend to lose yourself in the middle of training at times. If you are going to train, then you need to focus. Focus isn't only needed when improving your instincts.]

"Right…"

— _Ping!_

Issei suddenly felt a tingling feeling on the back of his neck. He whipped his head in all directions. It was his instincts.

[Partner? Do you feel that?]

 _'Yeah. Where is it?'_

[To the east. Something is about to enter the forest.]

Issei looked to his right. Off in the distance, there was a figure heading into the forest.

 _'Ddraig, what is it?'_

[I do not know. I cannot tell from here.]

 _'Human?'_

[No.]

 _'Of course not.'_

The figure entered the forest, escaping from Issei's vision.

 _'Should I follow it?'_

[It is up to you Partner. You may ignore them, if you wish.]

Issei contemplated on what he should do. Ignore it, and move on with his life? Or, interfere, despite not being originally involved? This was the first time something didn't directly affect him. He would return home after the next day. Would it matter if he did nothing?...

 _["..As of now, the only assumption may be that the children are no longer with us.."]_

..….

 _'..Dammit.'_

Issei bolted forward to follow the being who entered the forest.

 _'What is it heading for? A forest? Bad stuff always happens in places like this. Maybe it noticed me and is trying to lure me out?'_

Issei's mind scrambled through the possibilities of what exactly is the being he is following, and what its intentions were. But as he was running, he quickly lost sight of the figure. He slid to an abrupt stop.

 _'What? Where did he go? I can't feel him!'_

[He is…. —! Behind you!]

 _"Ah? A kid?_ "

 **[—?!]**

Issei whipped his head around, only to see something swiftly pass him.

" _Over here_ ~"

He whipped back around again. And—

" _Yo_."

—Only a meter in front of him, stood a young man in his early 20s with messy, slightly spiky, creamy-white hair which looked like it didn't belong on a living person. He was dressed a bit like a young skater and was resting his arms on a spear resting on the back of his neck. He seemed to have a laid back attitude and was smirking curiously down at Issei.

" _Kids shouldn't be wandering into misty forests like this. You'll scrap your knee_. _Ah, hold up. You probably speak Japanese, huh._ —Ahem. Sorry bout that. "

Issei was immediately set on his guard. He was already taking his stance and spawned his Boosted Gear.

 **[Boost!]**

"Woah!"

The man spun the spear expertly and took a proper leaning stance.

"That's not a kid's toy, little man!"

Both of them were on guard, but Issei could tell that the man was not as nervous as the sweating Issei.

 _'Ddraig…. What is he?'_

[—A " **Fallen Angel** ".]

The man— The mysterious Fallen Angel, he put his hand up in a non-threatening manner.

"Alright... Let's just calm down, kiddo... No need to be feisty."

Issei gritted his teeth in frustration and anxiousness.

"...Why are you here, Fallen Angel?"

The man looked even more surprised.

"Woah, woah, woah! You know that much?! That's dangerous, kid! You're not just any chip off the old block, are ya!"

[Fool. You should not have told him that you knew of his nature. Now he will see you as a legitimate threat.]

 _'Well, how much of a chance do I have in winning?'_

[Without knowing of his proficiency as a spearman, the possibility is high, but also uncertain. In terms of pure power, he does not seem too much stronger than that Zealous, judging by his latent aura. But his stance and movement implies that he has a skill level that could easily dispatch of such an opponent. Not to mention, that he possesses the ability to create light spears. If he has the confidence to use a regular spear, despite his natural power, then that just means that he is an even more skilled warrior than the average crow. All in all, my optimistic estimate is a 50/50.]

 _'I wish I hadn't learned what optimistic meant…'_

[Indeed. Realistically, you will die before you hit him.]

The man suddenly held his hand up as he relaxed his stance. Issei only increased his guard instinctually.

"Woah, woah! Hold on there, kiddo! Just chill out, okay? Let's just talk this out. I ain't gonna hurt ya."

 _'..Do I trust him?'_

[You shouldn't.]

Issei retained his stance while the Fallen Angel sighed.

"Haah... Well, I guess that makes sense, huh. Look, kid. I ain't here for you, alright? Even though that thing you got there is really a bad hand."

He pointed to Issei's Boosted Gear.

"..But still, you ain't my objective. I'm here for something else. I can't be wasting my time with you."

Issei's eyes narrowed.

"What are you planning?"

The Fallen raised a brow.

"If I tell you, will you chill out?"

Issei didn't answer.

"Haah.."

The Fallen Angel sighed again and crossed his arms.

"Alright, whatever. Look, kid, like I said, I ain't here for you. I'm here for another kid. I'm here to find my boss's kid, you know? She's been running around wherever, and I gotta find 'er and make sure she's A-ok. I'm supposed to take 'er back too, but that's not the problem. I just can't find 'er. I'm closing in on the trail but _you're in the way_. That's the thing, ya see."

Issei's guard only increased with his words.

"Ah, nah, that's not what I…. Ugh. I suck at this shit. I ain't the negotiating type. That's not why I got a fucking spear, ya know? Damn [ **Azazel** ]. Do your own shit, will ya? Just 'cuz **Barakiel** hasn't moved for a while...!"

The man seemed to pop a light bulb over his head in realization.

"Ah, that's right! Hey, kid! How about this? You wanna head back to base with us?! That'd be the shit, ya know! Ah, but there is that little "white" runt... Would he cause trouble with you 'cuz 'a the legend?... Nah, he should be alright. So, whaddya say?"

The Fallen smirked in a relaxed manner. Issei only became even more hostile than ever. His skin felt a little hot. Something felt like it was being released from his pores.

"Woah! Woah! Chill out, kiddo! I ain't tryin to say that I'm kidnapping ya! I'm _asking_ ya! Man, you're a hostile little man, aren't ya? I mean, I don't blame ya. If you know that I'm a Fallen, then that probably means ya had some interaction with one of us... Probably not a pretty one, huh?"

The Fallen stopped rubbing his neck and looked down at Issei seriously.

"Did they kill someone?"

(—!)

Issei froze for a bit. But his shock quickly disappeared.

"...Not one of you guys..."

"...Mm…"

The Fallen was looking deep into Issei's eyes. Issei felt like his whole soul was being exposed in front of him. The Fallen relaxed and cracked his neck.

"Haah.. That so? Well, maybe it was from the one of the other sides then. Had to be something bad if you got that scary fuckin' thing lookin' so young. But if you live around here—"

The Fallen was casually looking around, deep into different parts of the forest, until he stopped mid sentence.

"—Ah."

He looked like he realized something and turned his head to Issei with the same seriousness from earlier.

"You're one of " _those_ _victims_ ", aintcha?.."

 **[—?!]**

The Fallen crossed his arms and leaned back to look up into the fog covered sky.

"Aaah... That shit ain't funny, man…."

Issei only felt confusion towards his actions. —The Fallen Angel's tone sounded grim and sincere. He was gazing up at the sky with a distant look, as if he was in deep contemplation.

 _'Ddraig... What is..'_

[Devils and Fallen alike are masters of Manipulation. Do not let down your guard.]

Issei had only noticed it when Ddraig mentioned, his guard had loosened. He solidified it once again and waited for the Fallen to make a move. The Fallen took notice of it.

"Ah, my bad. Touchy subject, yeah? Damn. Who woulda' thought that you'd be in there when that happened? That's some reeeaaally bad shit for the Devils. No wonder you got all that hate in your eyes. Woof. That's rough, little guy. I don't even think I gotta ask you to tag along anymore. Our side or not, you'll just be against those fuckers anyway, huh?"

Issei couldn't make sense of any of the things he had been saying. From the very beginning, there were many things he was lost on. But that didn't matter. What mattered was whether he was truly a threat or not. The Fallen placed his hands on his hips.

"Aaah, but being that hostile is bad for ya, ya know? That means you're more likely to go nuts. I feel like you got some crazy in ya already. Maybe I should take you back with me then.. If I don't, Azazel may just come around himself and that will be super troublesome in this area... Aaah. Damn. What to dooo~…"

The Fallen tilted his head in many directions while thinking deeply on what to do. He suddenly stopped.

— _ **Zin!**_

Suddenly, the Fallen Angel's eyes shot open, causing Issei to flinch greatly. The Fallen whipped his head to look behind himself.

[Partner, there's something over there!]

The Fallen then jumped into the treeline and ran deeper into the forest.

"Wha—?!"

Issei bolted after him, acting on instinct.

[What are you doing, boy?]

 _'He said he was looking for some child..! I can't just let him go knowing that!'_

[Fool. Did you not listen to his words? He is searching for the child of his superior. That "child" is no doubt inhuman. He is not concerned with you. This does not involves us—! Stop, you fool!]

 ** _Skiiiid!_**

Issei grinded to a harsh stop. Just before him was a clearing with multiple figures in it. Multiple men and 2 children. Issei looked around to find the Fallen. He tried using his instincts and felt a hunch to look left. About 5 meters away, sitting silently on a tree branch, there was the Fallen Angel.

[Quickly, hide yourself!]

Issei snapped out of it and hid in a bush right in front of himself. He peeked through the foliage and observed ahead of him closely.

 _'This feeling…. They feel like... High-Class Devils?…..'_

Issei looked to one of the children. One of them was wrapped in a net. Then—.

…..

There was another young girl next to her, who was the one that caught Issei's eye. One with crimson-red hair.

—Issei's mind came to a sudden halt as the world around him continued moving. He didn't remove his sight from the crimson haired child.

"Now, now, please calm down. I am the [Bishop] of the current Head of the House of _**Gremory**_ , and the one that is in charge of this area, **Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa**. Please call me Agrippa."

[Partner?]

Issei's sight...slowly became distorted. The world gradually turned red in his sight. A similar red color to the hair of the girl. His heart rate began to rise. The image of the girl and her surroundings slowly began to swirl into a spiral as memories clashed violently together.

 _Ise~ time for dinner!_ — _Ah, you're a victim, aintcha?_ — _The children? I've been killing them, of course_ — _The only assumption is that the children are no longer with us_ — _You will die_ — _Nii-Nii! Hold me up~_ — _I wish that none of this would ever have happened.._ — _I refuse to die!_ — _This is the little shit? He don't look like much_ — _Those eyes...they are not the eyes of a child._ — _I killed him, of course_ — _As I recall, the Lord of Gremory was also accompanied by the next heir to the Household. This territory is to be a gift from him to his daughter. Surely it involves that_ — _This family of yours, they will surely come for that_ —

…. _ **Badump**_ ….. _**Badump**_ ….. _**Badump**_ ….. _**Badump**_ , _**Badump**_ , _**Badump**_ , _**Badump! BADUMP!**_

—Issei's heartbeat pounded loudly through his head, and shook the world around his view. His gaze was only set on the crimson hair of the child ahead of him. The child with a _familiar_ air around her. The child accompanying the man who held a _familiar_ name. A High-Class Devil...

Issei's skin felt like it was starting to burn. It was slowly, but surely, releasing something. Something dark— Something red like blood— Something that wilted the grass beneath him— Something that burned his own skin. Something that made the air around him unbreathable. Something that implied... —Death.

— _ **[You are but a child. There is simply nothing you can do.]**_

 **[—!]**

 _ **Zin!**_

"Eh?"

Then, out of nowhere, something small and sharp sliced Issei's cheek. He looked down to where it landed. A small "needle" of light. He slowly looked up to the direction it came from.

The Fallen, sitting up in the tree, shook his head at him and shifted his eyes to the men below.

When Issei followed his gaze—

.

.

— _The High-Class Devil Agrippa was staring back at him._

 **[** **!?** **—?!]**

[—YOU FOOL! MASK YOUR PRESENCE! NOW!]

Issei clutched his mouth and hunched over into a ball. His mind clamored desperately as he tried to rationally disguise himself.

 _'Calm down! Calm down! Calm down! Mask it! Put it away! You're not here! You're not anywhere! You don't exist! You're not here! You're not here!... Calm down!... Calm down!….. You're not here... You don't exist….. You're not real... You're not here... Don't think, don't feel it….. There is…..nothing….'_

His grip on his mouth slowly loosened, and his muscles un-tensed themselves.

 _'...Nothing…..'_

Issei slowly lifted his head. His eyes were empty husks. His expression was devoid of emotion. He resembled a dead boy with no soul. His mind was clear, and blank.

—Hyoudou Issei was no longer "present".

"Where are you looking?"

One of the men in odd robes asked the Devil. The Devil turned back from where he had previously looked, at a bush.

"Ah, I'm sorry. You must forgive me. I had gotten distracted for a moment."

The Devil peered over his shoulder to look to the young, crimson haired girl he'd brought with him. She was shivering lightly while hugging her arms. The Devil with noble atmosphere who called himself "Agrippa" clears his throat and points towards the depth of the forest.

"How about we have a little chat over there? Don't you think having the children listen to the circumstance of us adults will only make them learn unnecessary abusive words?"

"…Very well."

The Devil, Agrippa, disappeared into the forest with the robed men. Issei observed the two girls left, silently.

"You will be fine now."

The crimson haired girl shook herself off lightly and began to remove the net from the other girl. She shows a smile meant for a girl her age.

"You sure have beautiful black hair. I love the black hair of the Japanese people."

Issei watched silently, until his observation was interrupted.

[Partner. The Fallen Angel. He is going to move.]

Issei snapped out of his hollow state and looked up to the tree in which the Fallen was sitting on. He looked to be completely captivated by the 2 girls. —No. He was thinking. Certainly, if there was any time to make a move and take the girl, it was now.

 _ **Rustle..!**_

"Hm?"

The Fallen looked down to the base of the tree where a rustling was heard. But suddenly, there was a light landing sound from beside him. He turned his head back around.

 _ **Ggg**_ …

When the Fallen turned, Issei was there on the branch, pointing his gauntlet straight at his face. A quiet sound was being made with the formation of a small ball of energy in his gauntlet's palm. They stared at each other silently.

…..

 _ **Rustle**_ …

The group of men soon returned from the inner forest. One of the robed men stepped towards the small black haired girl.

"…Promise me two things. I will swear to you that we won't lay our hands on you if you keep those promises. First, you must not step foot into the territory that is under our surveillance. Second, to stay besides that girl with crimson-hair every time you do something. As long as you keep these two promises, we will swear to you that we won't lay our hands on you ever again."

The robed man turns away to leave before she can properly answer.

"…May I introduce myself as [ **Himejima** ] from now on?"

The man says it without turning back.

"…There are many others that carry that surname. Do as you like."

Saying just that, the robed men leave from the forest. The two Devils then spoke to each other.

"Now then, princess. I will leave the rest to you."

"Was it okay, Agrippa? Didn't you need to do something due to the issue about our territory?"

"I do not have a hobby to pass a judgement on a small lady after all. However, it was fortunate. I will be leaving from this area next month and it was planned for me to work in a different country. If the Devil from a different household that will be taking this territory were to meet with this lady…that Devil wouldn't have been merciful."

Issei raised a brow.

 _'What the hell is happening? What are they doing?'_

The crimson girl turned to the other girl.

"I'm very sorry for the fact that we, the Gremory, took everything from you which includes your birth. You probably had your reasons and you even had the history of your life till now. However, this was the only way to save you."

 _'...Gremory...'_

"No, I'm grateful that I was able to be safe like this."

The small black haired girl smiled sweetly. Issei felt his shoulders lighten a bit at the sight. He looked to the Fallen. The Fallen was watching silently, with a distant gaze. There seemed to be some sort of solemn understanding in his expression. It was an expression too complicated for Issei to understand just yet, at his age.

The Devils ended their conversations almost abruptly and spawned circles that reminded Issei even more of that day.

 _ **Shin!**_

 **[—?!]**

With a quick flash of light, they were all gone.

"What?!"

Issei was shocked while the Fallen simply sighed.

"Well, there they go."

The Fallen stood up, jumped off from the branch, and into the clearing. Issei quickly followed him.

"Wait, what happened?! Where did they go?!"

The Fallen turned to him, casually.

"Home. And with the girl I was set to bring too. Haaah... Damn. That's my ass alright."

The Fallen sighed while stretching lightly, as if nothing happened.

"Wait—! They took her?! You mean..! What are they gonna do with her?! What's gonna happen to her?!"

Issei was in a terrible state of concern. The crimson girl mentioned that the girl was Japanese. And her name was supposedly "Himejima". In other words, she was human after all.

This revelation sent Issei's mind into disarray. Once again, another child. Another one he couldn't save. Another one he couldn't meet.

— _Another one to add to the list._

"Eeh, I wouldn't worry too much about her."

"Heh?"

The Fallen spoke casually while cracking various parts of his body.

"Well, Devil or no Devil, even I have to admit that she's in good hands."

"Hah?... With the Devil?..."

"Mmm…. Well, most Devils are shit. I'm sure you know that. But, I guess there's always one or two that happen to not be irredeemable shitbags, ya know? Hell, it's us Angels, Fallen or not, who think we're the "good guys". No matter what, the Devils are always the "bad guys". And that's just the way it is. Anyway, that's that. I guess my job is done. I'll have to report my failure back to the Governor."

"I don't understand…"

The Fallen ignored Issei's comment and asked him curiously.

"Hey, kid. What's your name?"

Issei responded hesitantly, while giving him a suspicious look.

"Huh?... Uh... I'm Issei…"

"Issei, huh? I see. Alright. Hey, Issei."

"W-What?"

The Fallen pointed straight down at Issei.

"That aura you let out, whatever was the cause of it— _it's gonna drive you crazy_."

(—?!)

"...What's that supposed to mean?..."

The Fallen shrugged.

"Just what it means. That's just all there is to it. That's what that type of hate does to you, ya know. You just don't "stay normal" that way. Especially for an existence like you. The way your story goes— it'll end the same way it does for everybody else."

"..."

The Fallen turned on his heel, presumably to leave.

"Wait..!"

The Fallen stopped at Issei's call. He tilted his head back.

"I... Who are you anyway?..."

"Hm? —Ah, yeah!"

The Fallen smacked his forehead as he turned around, as if realizing something.

"My bad. I asked your name and I didn't give mine. I'm [Bal]. I'm from [Grigori]."

"Gri...gori?"

"Well, don't worry about it for now. I'm sure you'll find out in some time. Not sure how much time though. That doesn't depend on me, unfortunately. But, judging from what I can tell, you don't look like the type who'll go around indiscriminately killing people, will you?"

Issei's eye twitched.

"...I am not a Devil…."

The Fallen named Bal raised a brow before suddenly bursting out in laughter.

"Ahahahahahaha! Is that so? Yeah, yeah, alright. I hope so. I don't want us to have to try killing each other the next time we meet."

The Fallen— Bal, nodded his head in understanding. Issei only tilted his own.

"Next time?.."

Bal smirked.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure we'll meet again. One day."

 _ **Foom!**_

Out of seemingly nowhere, some dark-grey colored wings with feathers popped from Bal's back. 2 pairs of them.

"So long, **Red Dragon** , Issei!"

 _ **Foom!**_

(—?!)

Bal flew off and escaped Issei's vision in a second. Issei was left in a state of shock.

 _'He knew what I was?!'_

[Of course he did. You revealed your Sacred Gear to him. My reputation is not one that sleeps in the darkness, boy.]

 _'Seriously?...'_

Issei looked down at his gear.

 _'Maybe I should be careful with that next time…'_

[Hmph. Is that so, boy?]

Issei looked up at the sky Bal had flown off into.

"...Fallen Angels…."

At the very least, this event ended inconsequentially.

 **End**

* * *

 **Alright that's that for that one. Sorry this one was a bit tame. As I said before, there are going to be time skips coming in so that every event is shown back to back. Next chapter is gonna be a big one. The coming chapters leading up to cannon will most likely be longer than the usual ones since they are gonna be the most significant events in Issei's backstory. Very significant. Trust me you have no idea.**

 **So yeah, decided to tie Issei's backstory in a bit with another one. I wanted a way to solidify Issei's growing hatred. Now he's met a Fallen Angel who's not a dickhead. His image of Devils isn't the best right now. And he's got some foreboding warning from the Fallen Angel named Bal. Also, the Aikawa are mediums. This explains not only why the genius Satoshi could break the spell of High-Class Devils and why he could somehow snap Akane out of it as well. Of course, this puts them at a much higher risk than normal people. Issei's luck really is shit.**

 **So tell me what you guys thought. Now that it's revealed that the Aikawa are mediums, do you expect some bad shit to happen to them? What about Bal's foreboding warning about Issei's hatred? What does this little connection between backstories mean for the future? Did the Hyoudou's really suffer such a dreaded fate? Now that the Fallen Angels know of Issei, what do you think this will change about his future? Maki is starting to get bigger, but how big will her boobs be?**

 **Hey don't look at me, Issei's the one starting to have trouble taking constant baths with Maki now that's she starting to get bigger and bigger. At this point he shouldn't even be taking baths with her. But he can't do anything about it. She won't take a bath otherwise. By the way, they're separated in age by about 2 years. So Maki should be two grades below Issei at all times.**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**


	8. Chapter 8: Marie

**Okay guys, just like I said last chapter, this chapter is probably gonna be longer than usual. It'll have a couple time skips contained within it and there will be more than one event that takes place.**

 **Wonder how long this chapter will end up being.**

* * *

 **-SCENE-**

"Yellowfin Tuna! 53,000 Yen!"

A man was heard announcing prices on a certain item.

 _ **Sniff-sniff!**_

The little brown haired girl sniffled some mucus in the cold air.

"Maki, blow your nose. Here."

 _ **Prrrrr!**_

Maki blew her nose in the napkin given to her by her mother.

The Aikawa family was currently outside, in a large, loud, cold place. A fish market. But not just any fish market. The biggest and most famous fish in all of Japan, or maybe even the world. The Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.

"Haa! Haa!"

Issei huffed some hot air into his cold palms and rubbed them together. It might have been a mistake to not bring his gloves out with him today.

—It has been a few months since the incident involving the Fallen Angel, "Bal", in the forest. Issei has just turned 11, not too long ago. The Aikawa family was in Tokyo, on vacation for the summer. Ironically enough, today was actually a cold and cloudy day. Satoshi had suggested they visited the famous Tsukiji market as one of their stops. Satoshi enjoyed the art of fishing quite a bit. Growing up, his father had always taken him fishing. At those times, Issei's own father would also accompany them and developed a liking for fishing himself.

For that reason, Issei also wanted to visit the market. And with two against one, since Maki just wanted to be with Issei, Akane had no choice but to agree.

"Uwaaaaaah~ Look, Tou-chan! A big tuna!"

Maki was in amazement at the huge tuna laid out before them in lines. Issei only cracked his neck in a vacant manner.

It was a bit of a chilly morning. Oddly enough, Issei didn't feel very cold, outside of his hands. In fact, it feels like he doesn't feel very cold at all, very often. A couple months ago, Issei visited the doctors because they believed he had a fever. For some reason, his temperature was higher than normal. But when they visited the doctors, he was told that he didn't have any known ailments affecting his health in any way. He had no symptoms of a fever and only had a bit of a heightened temperature.

According to Ddraig, it is most likely an effect of the Boosted Gear. As Issei becomes stronger, the Boosted Gear starts to take an odd effect on him in certain ways. He's been growing a lot lately. He's already over 150 cm tall at only age 11. He was certainly going to end up being tall. It's almost like the power of the Gear somehow changes him physically. A physiological reaction to the constant exposure of power. Almost as if his body deemed it was "necessary"...

..What would end up happening to him?

[Partner.]

 _'Hm? What's up, Ddraig?'_

[I feel something.]

Issei's nerves suddenly tensed. He darted his eyes around suspiciously. Not only that, but there was some hostility in his gaze.

 _'Where?'_

[Calm down. This is a public area. It's densely populated. There are many walking around here. Nothing dangerous should take place, if whatever is around isn't reckless or insane.]

 _'That's not something I can rely on Ddraig.'_

[Enough. Stay calm. When I told you I felt something, that was all I meant. It doesn't necessarily mean I feel "evil intent" or a dangerous existence. In fact, it is more of a "lack" of feeling than anything.]

 _'Lack of feeling?'_

[Look behind you.]

Following Ddraig's suggestion, Issei peered over his shoulder. His eyes scanned the area around. All he saw were many booths with different types of seafood. Nothing suspicious.

 _'I don't—'_

[—Wait, there.]

Issei stopped. His gaze was set on a bench between two booths. On there, sat a man in a yukata, eating some squid on a stick.

 _'..Him?'_

[I believe so. You can feel the presences of the many people around you, correct?]

 _'Ah… Hold on…. Yeah I can. It's hard to pinpoint specific people because of how many there are, but I can. Why?'_

[Try focusing on that man on the bench.]

 _'Alright…'_

Issei closed his eyes and focused his mind on feeling the man's presence.

 _'That's weird. I can't really feel him..? It's almost like he isn't there…'_

[A similar trick to the Devil's "elimination of presence", no?]

Issei's eyes snapped open.

—The man was smiling and waving at him.

(—?!)

 _'He noticed me!'_

The man lifted his arm. He made a gesture towards Issei with his hand.

( _Come closer_ )

 _'..?! He wants me to get closer!? Ddraig, what should I do?..'_

[I do not know, partner. But there should be no serious threat to your safety in this place. If there is… At the very least, if you separate yourself from your family, you will die alone.]

Issei glanced to his family who were casually observing the fish.

'... _Alright…. That's good enough...'_

Issei minimized his presence and snuck away from his family. Hopefully they wouldn't notice. He walked towards the man on the bench and sat down beside him without looking at him. He felt a high tension in his nerves, despite not knowing what or who he was. Nor even how strong he was. He could most literally feel nothing from him. As if he wasn't really there...

"Ikayaki are good, huh? Japan really is the best. I should come here more often."

The man spoke casually, like any normal man. Issei took a glance at him. He was a tall, handsome, middle aged looking man with black hair and blond streaks. He was wearing a grey yukata despite the fact that it was cold out.

The man spoke to Issei as he took bites out of his grilled Ikayaki.

"Ah, here. You want one?"

The man pulled something out of his pocket. A lollipop. Issei raised a brow incredulously at it.

"Hm?... Aaaah. You probably don't want that, now that I think about it, do you? From looking at you, you seem to be in your 'preteen' ages. I guess you don't really care about lollipops anymore, huh. Plus, you're also " _that_ " so I don't think you're interested."

The man put the lollipop back into the pocket of his yukata. He seemingly had absolutely no hostile or evil intent whatsoever...

 _'Ddraig. What the hell is this guy?..'_

[I do not know, partner. I cannot feel what he is, despite being so close. Yet somehow, he seems familiar. This worries me.]

 _'Talk to me, Ddraig..'_

[If he is "familiar" to me, then that means he is someone I recognize from when I was alive. If he is from that time, then that means he is powerful. If he is someone who is not human, but neither of us can sense him, then he is powerful nonetheless. Disguising one's true nature is almost impossible for most beings. Even if you become immensely powerful, it is extremely difficult to hide what you really are from experienced fighters. If he is able to disguise his true nature from both of us, then he is _obscenely powerful_.]

(—?!)

Issei felt a thick was of saliva being swallowed down his throat.

' _Ddraig…. How powerful do you mean exactly?...'_

[It is difficult to make an estimate when I don't know his full power, but somehow, your own instincts tell me that he has the capability to level many towns in this country.]

Issei felt an immeasurable weight plant him to the bench. It felt like the world went blue while his skin went pale as snow. It was a familiar feeling. Familiar to that of "that day". The day he saw, and felt, those "ominous figures", high up in the sky. Those 4 figures...

— _This man was on their level._

"Ah, you've gone pale. Are you alright? Nothing's going to happen to you, you know?"

Issei snapped out of his terror and felt profuse sweat rolling down his forehead. He glanced up at the man, briefly.

—The man had a casual expression of curiosity as he looked down at Issei. His expression didn't have any negative implications at all. Somehow, it nearly eased Issei a bit. Similar to the situation with Bal. In fact...

 _'Ddraig... This guy kinda smells like "Bal"…. I think?'_

[!.. Is that so! In that case, that would possibly make him a **Cadre-Class** Fallen Angel..]

 **[—?!]**

Issei felt another chill. A "Cadre-Class" being. A league in which even the weakest of beings in it have the capability to cause serious destruction.

 _'Just my luck…'_

[Somehow, I do not feel it is luck, partner.]

"Are those your family members?"

Issei was ripped out from his thoughts as the man pointed towards his family. He hesitantly nodded.

"I see. They look like nice folks. They're a bit " _special_ ", aren't they? Especially that man."

 _'...He can tell how they are?'_

[Of course he can.]

"Mm. A nice little family. Good for you."

His tone was sincere, and possibly even a bit sullen.

"It's terrible that you had to go through something like "that" at such a young age. Truly, the hosts of the [ _Heavenly Dragons_ ] are unfortunate ones. I wonder if you and " _him_ " would relate to each other?"

 _'What the hell is he talking about, Ddraig?'_

[He refers to the "White one" and myself. Though, I don't know what he means by the end.]

"You seem like you're happy here, huh. Hmm…"

The stranger went a bit quiet as he crossed his arms.

"I'm not saying this as a threat. But… You think you can protect them?"

The man asked Issei earnestly while looking through his eyes. Issei couldn't help but feel like every part of his entire being was being analyzed thoroughly— Deconstructed and reconstructed.

He felt the cold sweat run down his neck as he gulped. He couldn't speak. But—

 _'I will protect them..'_

—Issei communicated without words. His determination burned like a fire in his eyes.

The man silently stared at him.

...

"Haah..."

He let out a quick, light sigh as he looked away from Issei.

"I see."

The man stood up and cracked his back.

"Alright~ that's all for me then. I suppose I'll get going. That [ **Shemhazai** ] will have my head if I don't return soon."

He lightly stretched his limbs.

 _'He's…. He's leaving?'_

The man looked back.

"You're not bad for a kid. I'd say you're just a couple steps away from obtaining [ _Balance Breaker_ ]. Not bad. But I'd say you're still behind "him". Well, you're human after all. Whatever. You're still young, so you won't have to worry about that for now. But, if you ever feel like you're lost, or don't know what to do with yourself, you can always just come to us. We'll be around. Be careful around the "other guys" too. I don't know if the guys " _upstairs_ " are aware of you yet, but if they do find out about you, be careful. They have the most resentment and caution towards the Heavenly hosts, ironically enough. Take care, brat."

He ended his cryptic speech and started walking away. He waved back at Issei as he gained more and more distance.

"We'll definitely meet again. Someday. —Ah, maybe I'll send someone in the future. Try not to kill them please~!"

He randomly spoke to himself before calling back, disappearing into the crowd of people.

—In a moment's notice, the man, the Fallen Angel, was gone.

[..."Shemhazai"?... I have heard that name...?]

 _'What the hell…. Who was that guy? It felt like he knew everything about me….'_

[It must have to do with the one named "Bal", from the past. He most certainly briefed his superiors on the case regarding you. Though, his superior didn't treat you suspiciously. Possibly because they have already deemed you not a threat. We are lucky. Though, we didn't meet him by chance.]

 _'He said we'll meet again…'_

[I imagine, it is inevitable.]

"Nii-Nii?.."

Issei snapped his gaze from the crowded area, to his right. His family was standing there with concerned expressions.

"Ise-kun, are you alright? Would you like to head back?"

His aunt asked himconcer with worry. Issei shook himself off and smiled.

"Mm.. I'm alright... Just tired... Let's go."

Issei got off the bench and continued browsing around the market with his family.

—This would certainly not be the last time these two met.

* * *

 _ **The Cult**_

* * *

—A year after Issei's encounter with the Cadre-Class Fallen Angel.

 _ **Crunch, crunch!**_

A sickening crunch was heard at an abandoned construction site. It was the dead of night. The moon was the only light in the sky. In the construction site, sat a lone woman. A beautiful, purple haired woman with glasses, sat on her knees. She appeared to be sobbing uncontrollably.

 _ **Crunch!**_

—But that was wrong.

 **[Boost!]**

"Hah!"

The woman's head whipped back with a gasp. A boy with a red gauntlet stood above her, his silhouette blocking the light of the moon behind him. Though, through the darkness of his form, there was a slight green glow in his eyes...

"A stray? Didn't know they did such deplorable things."

The woman fell back in shock. There was blood on her face and a lying dead man below her.

—She was eating him.

The boy paused before speaking again. As if he was addressing someone else entirely.

"..Yeah, obviously. We can't leave her alive."

"W-Who are you?!"

He didn't acknowledge her, but only pointed his gauntlet down at her face, with a glint in his eyes.

"Go back to hell."

A red ball formed in his palm.

 **[Shot!]**

"..?! Please, wai—!"

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

 _ **Sss**_ …

The red beam of energy fired, and left was a small crater and smoke behind the woman's body. Her head was gone. The headless body fell back to the floor.

 _ **Thud!**_

Issei looked down to the dead man's body behind the woman's.

"She was bruised and crying. Some sort of revenge?"

[Possibly. He also may have fought back. Though, that wouldn't explain her tears. Your assumption may be more likely.]

"Well, I'm sure he didn't want to die."

As he looked over the dead man, he noticed which pieces of his body were missing. His stomach had been eaten away.

 _'...They didn't want to die…'_

— _The image of a severed hand_ —

—"No!"

Before his mind could go any further, Issei shook his head vigorously.

"No… Not now…"

Issei took a breath, preventing himself from spiraling into some sort of episode. He noticed the small detail of an odd looking cross around the man's neck. Compared to normal crosses, it looked unconventional and "white". It was made of something odd. Almost like it was made out of...bone(?)

—But soon, Issei's instincts picked up on something.

(—!)

 _'Ddraig..!'_

[I feel it, partner. Approaching from the east.]

 _'Yeah...'_

Issei quickly hid himself behind some large building pieces. There were multiple signatures approaching the site. Soon enough, multiple figures appeared in the sky and landed near the dead bodies. Issei cleared his thoughts and emotions of anything negative or positive, and calmly observed, essentially eliminating his presence.

 _'..Devils?'_

[We may have alerted them of this position when you blasted the stray. They must have been searching for her already.]

The small group of Devils approached the bodies and began speaking to each other. Issei listened closely.

"It was killed."

"Who could have done it? A Sacred Gear user?"

"Who knows. Possibly even a fallen. It may have just had an unfortunate encounter with someone. Or something."

"Well, it doesn't matter now. Agares-sama should be pleased that it's dead."

"Too bad we didn't do it."

"But we did!"

"We… Haah…. Right, I see. We may as well take credit for it. Won't make a difference."

"Good thinking, you guys!"

The 3 Devils flew off after quickly dispatching of the 2 bodies.

 _'Those Devils…. Do you think they could have been related to the ones we met back then?'_

[I'm not sure, partner. Unlike the others, these seemed to be "Low-Class" versions.]

 _'Because they're not strong?'_

[Yes. They are quite weak compared to your current self. Though, they might put up a fight all together. Well, nevertheless, they were enough for the stray. Unfortunately for them, we got to it first.]

 _'..Yeah. Well, let's just hope that's our last "chance encounter" with another stray I have to hunt down and kill. I wouldn't want it to become a pattern.'_

[It may be too late for that, partner.]

 _'..Sigh.. Yeah...'_

[Shall we go?]

 _'Yeah, let's go.'_

With that, Issei stood from his spot and returned home.

* * *

—A week since Issei killed the random stray.

"Slow!"

"Ah!"

 _ **Thud!**_

"..Uuu…"

A boy with caramel colored hair groaned while his back was to the floor, and his legs were in the air. An all too familiar position to Issei, the one who just flipped him over.

"Let's take a break, Narutobi."

Issei wiped his hands as he talked down at his long time friend, Narutobi.

"Okay…"

Issei gave Narutobi a hand to pick himself up on. He lifted himself while rubbing his lower back in pain.

—Issei and Narutobi were currently in the old playroom of Issei's house, which has now become more of an exercise room for him. Both of them were similarly dressed in Gi, but with different belts. Narutobi was in a white belt, while Issei was in a purple belt. The two boys were practicing Judo, which Narutobi has just begun learning.

Narutobi rubbed his neck awkwardly with a sad frown.

"Muu... You're amazing, Issei... You're so far ahead of me. To believe that you can handle 2 martial arts classes like Judo and Tai-chi at once…"

Issei sat down and randomly pulled out some martial arts book.

"3, actually. Though, this one is kind of self taught for me."

Issei said that as he began reading the book. It was a book about mastering Jujitsu. Narutobi sighed as he sat down beside him.

"How nice... To be so prodigious... I wish I was a genius…"

"It's about commitment, not natural talent. Also: you're good at school?"

"But that's not the kind of "good" I'm looking for.."

The reason Narutobi was practicing Judo was to become more 'manly'. Narutobi has never really been the physically strong or capable. But recently he'd been feeling that he is too effeminate and weak for his tastes. In truth, it was actually because there was a girl he liked that preferred masculine boys and he was not that. And of course the best person to ask about masculinity was the well known Hyoudou Issei who would dominate physical activities at school. Of course, Issei knew why he was asking him, but considering that he was his friend he didn't mind helping him in his efforts.

"Man... You're lucky, Issei... You're so handsome...and popular…. And tall…. And strong…. And smart…"

"Um, my grades are only above average? You're the one in all the advanced courses. Also, I'm only 156 centimetres."

"I'm 139…"

"Er... Yeah, but, I'm not very popular. It's just because I'm "that guy who saved that one kid from a serial killer", when I was young. It's pretty much worn off at this point, but at least everybody at school knows me 'cuz of that. Doesn't necessarily mean I'm popular, right?"

"But even so, Issei is still popular just because he is strong and handsome. Everyone in the sports teams wants you to play with them all the time because you always win. All the girls want to hang out with you because you are good looking and nice to them. It's so unfair that it hurts…"

"No, well, "handsome" is a bit... Um, I mean— By all accounts, I don't think you're bad looking, Narutobi. I think you can easily be considered handsome."

Narutobi shook his head in disagreement.

"No. Handsome is only for "manly" men. Girls do not think I am manly. They think I am "cute". They do not think of me as a man. I don't want them to think I am cute just because I am meek. I want to be considered handsome. Like Issei is. Because good looks alone isn't what makes you handsome. Being handsome is being good looking AND manly at the same time. It's basically just a cute guy who is manly."

"Ah... Is that so?"

Issei couldn't help but sweatdrop at his depressed friend's explanation of the logistics behind being called handsome.

"Well... I don't know much about that stuff, so I can't really say much on it. I didn't think there was so much criteria on things like that…"

"Of course! Why do you think there are girls at our school who say that certain people cannot confess to you unless they are rated a 7 or above!? The world of attraction is more complicated than you think, Issei!"

Narutobi spoke with enthusiasm, as if this was a subject he was passionate about.

"Making girls give up on me because they're not "pretty enough"?... That's pretty harsh…"

Narutobi crossed his arms.

"Of course. The world of young girls is harsh, Issei. They do not hold back. That is exactly why I must become manly! So I can be considered handsome and smart and strong, like Issei is! Then, there will be girls who confess to me!"

Narutobi finished it with stars in his eyes, to which Issei could only smile wryly at.

"That's some motivation. But I've only been confessed to once, you know?"

"Yes, but that girl was Akane-chan! She is extremely pretty, short haired, and is a part of the swim club! To think that you said "no" to her! How unbelievable!"

Issei sweatdropped again.

"No, well…. She has the same name as my auntie."

"But for such a ridiculous reason?! How horrible of you, Issei! That's so cruel!"

"Well, I mean, we're still friends, ya know? I still told her we could be friends, and we hang out to swim sometimes."

"That's even more horrible!"

"How?.."

"Muuuu! Horrible! Simply horrible! Issei really needs to learn how to interact with girls!"

"I seriously don't get it."

"Of course you don't! But even if you don't, girls will still flock to you! Aaaah! So unfaaaaair!"

"Well, I do have an unfair advantage. I'll admit that."

"One?! You have too many!"

Issei smiled bitterly.

 _'Ah, well, I was thinking of the Boosted Gear's influence…'_

Issei cleared his throat.

"—Ahem. Well, I don't have any interest in girls right now. I'm more focused on my training above anything. Besides, the only girl I need is Maki."

Narutobi gave Issei a deadpan look this time.

"Sis-con…"

"Wha—?! Hey!... Do we really look like siblings?"

"The fact that you ask that so expectantly…. I guess I'm right, huh."

"Er…."

Narutobi sighed.

"So unfair…"

Narutobi slumped down depressedly and leaned his head against Issei's shoulder.

"Don't put your head on me. It's unmanly."

He removed himself.

"Yes sir…"

(—!)

Issei suddenly felt an odd feeling. Something he wasn't familiar with. But somehow it felt ominous.

 _ **Ding-Dong~**_

"Ah, someone's at the door."

Narutobi stood up curiously, but Issei stepped in front of him.

"Narutobi. Stay here."

"Huh? Why?"

"Do as I say."

"O-Okay.."

Issei walked out of the room while Narutobi stayed back. He went to answer the door.

 _'Ddraig. Boost.'_

[Right.]

Issei hesitantly opened the door as some power flowed through him, discreetly.

 _ **Dakun**_ …

"Hello, there. Do you have a moment to speak on your beliefs?"

When Issei opened the door, he was greeted by a man in priest's clothing, and a dark hat. The man had a bible in hand. But most importantly, there was an odd white looking cross on his chest. One that was not too unfamiliar...

"I'm sorry. But, I'm afraid that my family isn't home. I can't have strangers in my house without permission."

Issei was not lying. His aunt and uncle were currently out handling something related to insurance or other adult matters. Regardless, that wasn't the actual reason refused to let the man in. It was mainly because Narutobi was there. If he wasn't, Issei might have let the man in. If only to confirm his suspicions. He might even have expected to kill the man…

"Ah, is that so? Do you know when they will return home?"

Issei raised a brow suspiciously.

"No, I don't…"

The man's face was not so easily visible under his hat.

"I see. At the very least, can I ask you one question, boy?"

Issei answered hesitantly.

"...What?"

The man leaned down a bit, meeting Issei's level. The man's eyes became visible from under the cap.

"Do you believe in God?..."

—Issei stared up at him darkly. The man's eyes were filled with something evil... Issei decided to answer honestly.

"Yeah."

The man lifted himself up slowly, as if a bit relieved with the answer.

However—

"Fuck him."

—Just as Issei said that, he could see the man's eyes burn violently with momentary rage from under the cap.

…. _Silence_ …..

"Well…. That's too bad then."

At that point, Issei could no longer see the man's eyes. He simply stood tall and quiet at the door.

"..E-Excuse me…"

A meek voice came from behind the man. The man turned. It was Maki. She was back from school.

"Hello…"

The man smiled. He lifted his cap to Maki in a gentlemanly manner and turned to leave. Maki approached Issei as the man walked away.

"..Nii-Nii? Who was that?"

Issei did not answer, but merely pulled Maki lightly in, to hold her as he watched the man walk away.

"Welcome home."

Issei did not take his gaze off the man, even after he disappeared. Maki brightly smiled and snuggled into Issei's embrace, quickly forgetting the incident.

"I'm home..!"

The man was gone.

Issei entered the house with Maki.

"..Issei? Who was it? Can I come out now?"

Narutob voice spoke out from inside the exercise room.

"Ah, yeah. You can come out."

Narutobi peeked his head out of the room.

"Ah, hey, Maki-chan! You just got back home from school?"

At Narutobi's appearance, Maki hid herself behind Issei's back.

"..Mm…"

"Ehehehe…. I see."

Narutobi rubbed his neck awkwardly.

Maki was always a playful and sociable girl growing up. Or at least, that's what Issei thought. But as it turns out, Maki is quite shy around strangers. All his life, Issei believed Maki was a sociable, playful girl. But he did not realize that she was only like that around her family. He didn't know what she was like at school or with others, because he didn't go to school with her. He's older than her after all, so he is grades above her. He doesn't get to witness her interaction with others, besides other cousins and such. He just assumed that, because of how she was with him, she was definitely playful and outgoing. Turns out, that wasn't exactly the case.

"Ehehe~ Short haired girls are nice, huh."

Narutobi commented with a smile towards Maki. She only hid herself further behind Issei's back.

"Keep it up, Narutobi. I'll give you a good arm lock later."

Narutobi shrank in fear.

"Uu... I don't know how to get out of one of those?…"

"You're not supposed to."

"Hiii~…"

* * *

 **-DxD-**

 _ **Ding-Ding — Ding-Dong~**_

A school bell rang throughout a certain middle school. The classic Japanese school bell. It was Issei's school. Students began standing from their seats and leaving their classrooms in a calm fashion. Issei was also walking out of school, alongside of his friend, Narutobi. The two were making their way home while casually speaking to each other, like usual. They ended up being caught up with by a girl with black, short hair.

"Ah, hey, wait up!"

The two turned at the voice. A familiar face. The girl took a light breath before looking at them, at Issei, with a blush on her face.

"Ah, Akane-chan!"

Narutobi greeted her with a smile, while Issei smiled a bit awkwardly at her appearance.

"Um, can I— Ahem. Can I walk home with you?"

Issei raised a brow while Narutobi snickered in the background.

"Um, yeah, I guess it's fi—"

Before Issei could finish, Narutobi pulled Issei into a huddle, with an arm over his shoulder. He gave Issei a thumbs up and whispered.

"Good luck, Issei!"

"Huh? What are you—"

Without clarifying, Narutobi suddenly ran away, before Issei could ask.

"Alright, see you guys latee~eeeer!"

Issei was left behind with the girl, Tsubomi Akane, dumbfounded. Tsubomi walked up next to him.

"Ah. Hey, Ak— I mean, Tsubomi."

"Hi…"

"...Well, let's go, I guess.."

"Y-Yeah.."

With that, the two walked home together with an awkward atmosphere. There wasn't much talking, besides some small talk. Issei only now realized that his experience with girls, outside of Maki, was almost non existent.

"So…. How's the swim club?"

"E-Eh? Ah, yes! Right... Um, well, we have regionals next week, so I've been training a lot for that. —Oh! Actually, um…. I was planning on asking you, but…. Do... W-Would you like to come and cheer for me?"

They stopped at a crossroad.

"Hm? Cheer for you? You mean, go watch your event?"

Tsubomi nodded meekly.

"Ah, well... Why not? I suppose I can. Just let me know when it is, I guess."

Tsubomi brightened up with a smile at Issei's agreement.

"Mm!"

Issei smiled curiously at her reaction. It sort of reminded him of Maki.

 _'Are all girls like this?'_

 ** _Moooon_** ….

 **[—?!]**

Issei felt a light chill run down his neck. A familiar feeling of a subtle yet imminent danger. One he felt just recently. His nerves immediately heightened to the highest tension the moment he realized what direction that feeling was coming from.

"Tsubomi."

"E-Eh? What is it, Hyoudou-kun?"

Issei spoke with wide eyes and an overall hollow expression. But his expression held intense fear, and a ferocious killing intent, at the same time. His voice came out with a low, beast-like growl.

" **Go home without me**."

Tsubomi felt terrifying chills up her spine just from his tone. Issei immediately bolted off without waiting for a response from her.

That familiar feeling. The subtle one felt from a strange priest, just a few days ago.

— _It was coming from the direction near his house._

[Partner! I think I understand why that man was giving you an "ominous" feeling. I believe he may be an "exorcist".]

 _'An exorcist?! What does that have to do with us?!'_

[I do not know.]

—The presence then suddenly vanished.

 _'Wha—?! He disappeared?! Where is he?!'_

[Let me focus on it.]

Issei continued running with all of the strength in his legs. It didn't take long for his house to reach his view. Issei halted outside of the gate of his home.

 _'He was somewhere nearby here..! Did he come by my home? Did he leave? Is he around?'_

[I do not know. It's odd for him to have suddenly vanished. He was just a human after all. He may have some sort of metho— ?! HE IS IN YOUR HOME!]

 **[—?!]**

 _ **SLAM!**_

The next moment, Issei had already burst through the door of his house. He ran straight to the living room, purely guided by instinct.

"BAA-SAN! MAKI!"

The moment he stepped in—

 ** _Creak_** …..

.

.

.

.

.

.

There stood the man.

On the floor, to the left of him, was the body of a woman.

In his arms, was the body of a young girl.

Both were unmoving.

.

.

.

.

 _《It's started.》 《Looks like it's started.》_

.

.

.

.

.

.

[ **PARTNER! THE CHILD IS ALIVE**!]

— _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCHHH!**_

Issei was throttled back into reality with a brutal screeching noise in his head. Yet, he could pay no mind to it. What was all the more poignant to him, was the red, blinding, fury burning through his entire being.

—"YOU BAAASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRDDDDDDDD!"

 _ **BRCCK!**_

The wooden floor beneath Issei's feet broke. Steam arose from his skin. Even the belt buckles on his school bag began to deform, as if they were slowly being melted. But, before he could make a move—

 _ **Zin!**_

The priest put a knife to the unconscious Maki's neck.

"Don't move."

— _ **SCRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCHH!**_

The piercing sound continued to scream in his head as Issei practically burned alive with rage. His face was contorted into a ferocious, inhuman snarl that even allowed saliva to drool out of his mouth. He didn't care to conceal his Boosted Gear, nor his unbelievable bloodlust.

"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL MURDER YOU! I'LL TEAR YOU APART! I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING FACE OFF! I'LL BURN YOU! I'LL EXTERMINATE YOU!— I'LL FUCKING EAT YOU ALIVE!"

Issei spat venomous breath at the priest, relentlessly. The killing intent he released was one so that it could be felt in the air. It could practically be tasted.

"Enough. You will follow me, quietly. Lest you wish to watch this child die."

Issei's teeth were on the verge of cracking under the pressure of his jaws.

"Come."

The priest did not remove the blade from Maki's neck as he turned to walk away. He was heading towards the back entrance.

[Partner. Stay calm. If you want to save her, then stay calm. Follow him. We will kill him. I assure you. But maintain your rationality. Once he releases the girl, you may let loose. Calm down. Do not lose yourself just yet.]

Issei struggled to keep himself sane. An unfathomable amount of Images and sounds clashed in his mind from sheer instability. Images of disaster. Sounds of terror. —Memories.

[Go, partner. We will kill him.]

Issei retained the little amount of rationality he had as he stepped forward. Walking forward, his eyes caught on to the body of his aunt.

 _("Ise-kun~ Maki-chan~ Dinneeeer~")_

His gaze was stuck on her. It felt like her body was growing closer and closer in his vision. Like a fisheye lens. His heart pulsed loudly in his head. The closer her image grew, the more familiar images and sounds from the past flooded his mind. Until, the images and sounds of his aunt began to merge into something else. Someone else.

.

.

.

.

 _("Ise~! Honey! Dinner!")_

—His mother.

...

 _ **Badump**_...

 _ **Badump**_ — _**Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump! BADUMP!**_

—[She is alive, partner. She is hurt, but she is alive. The child is in danger. Hurry, partner.]

Another fraction of Issei's rationality returned to him. But, his proper sanity was still far from coming back.

—The priest, and Issei, finally exited the home through the back entrance, into the grassy backyard. The priest turned back to face Issei. Issei was silent, and his form was almost pitch black. There was something dark and red surrounding his body, while 2 red lights beamed through the shadow of his face. The thing his body was releasing - was a full fledged aura.

"I did not kill her. I won't kill them. They aren't worthless heretics like you. I just needed to use them, that's all. But I'm sure we can convert them. It won't be difficult. Especially for a child. Maybe just a few months. Of course, as much as it may bother us to forcibly convert them, as long as the Lord's forces are increased, that is all that matters. Soon enough, they'll be singing the Lord's praises, just as they should."

Issei remained silent. His ominous form stood completely still.

"Well, there is no point wasting time with the irredeemable. Then—"

The priest tossed Maki into the air.

 ** _Grab!_**

Issei immediately jumped into the air, catching Maki and landing on his feet. Somehow, the pressure of his landing cracked the ground below him.

 _ **ZIN!**_

The priest launched himself towards Issei with daggers in his hands, not caring to give Issei a chance even to put Maki down. He went to pierce Issei's head with his right hand, and—

 _ **Slice!**_

 _ **Plop..!**_

"Hm?"

..The priest looked down in front of himself in confusion, noticing that Issei was no longer in the same place. Rather, Issei was somehow closer to the house. Becoming even more confused when feeling a weightlessness on his right arm, he looked down to his right hand.

—It was gone. Looking behind himself, it was lying on the ground, separate from his body.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggghhhhhhhhh!"

The priest howled in pain as he fell to his knees. Issei held Maki gently, almost as if he wasn't even there.

"I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry…. I'm so so sorry…"

He gently stroked Maki's hair while holding her close. The priest could only stare back at Issei in horror.

"It's okay…. **I'll make this quick**."

—Red eyes burned into the priest's soul.

 _ **ZIN!**_

Before the priest could react further, his entire right arm was ripped from his body and flew into the air.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!"

[His screams will alert others. Make this quick.]

The priest went to grab the dagger he dropped with his remaining left hand. He took it and stood to defend himself. But Issei had already jumped on him. Issei opened his mouth to show his sharp incisors—

 _ **BRCKGGLL!**_

—And bit down on his face.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH—!"

Issei pulled back. With his jaws, the priest's nose and top lip were torn off from his face.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHH!"

The priest fell to the ground while holding his face. Issei spat the flesh of the man out his mouth with disgust.

"Ptu!"

Even more than disgust, Issei felt a disgusting sense— of extreme satisfaction.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!"

The priest writhed on the ground in pain, his back being turned. Then, something suddenly pierced through his back, and out of his stomach.

 _ **PIERCE!**_

"—GLLUHAAH!"

Blood spewed from the priest's mouth and belly as the thick, red gauntlet churned his insides, and subsequently ripped them out from his body.

 _ **PGGGGGGGLLLLLLLLLLL!**_

The priest's body dropped as his guts spilled out of his abdomen. His life was slowly leaving him. He would surely die soon, and he felt it closing in. He spoke with what little life was left in him, speaking between dying croaks - to the imposing figure of a small "monster" above him.

"Guuh! ...They—! They will find you! —Pugah!— ...My allies! They will find you! —Blargh!— And you will pay..! —Cough, cough!— Haah…"

The monstrous form which no longer seemed human, answered him without remorse.

" **Wrong. I am the one who will find them. And I will** **kill** **them** **. Every single one of them**."

The life slowly faded from the priest's eyes. But, before he could even die—

 _ **PIERCE!**_

His chest was pierced with a gauntlet that crushed his heart. He was not allowed to die by his own volition.

 _ **Sgggl**_ …

Issei removed his gauntlet from the now lifeless body, blood dripping freely from it. He formed a red ball of energy and pointed it down at the body.

 **[Shot!]**

Without hesitation, Issei destroyed the body.

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!**_

The body disappeared with only that single blast, leaving only a crater behind.

[An explosion won't do well for secrecy.]

Issei did not respond. He did not care. He walked up to Maki and picked up her body.

 _'..Ddraig. None of them will survive. Not a single one.'_

[Very well.]

Issei held onto Maki's body with red, burning eyes.

 _'...Not a single one..'_

* * *

 **-DxD-**

A few weeks passed since the events with the strange priest took place. Issei was now set on a hunt. Every night, he searched for "them". He searched for any number of "allies" the priest reportedly said existed. He searched all throughout the edges of his city.

Nothing. Not a single trace of them. Until today.

It happened right after he was returning from school one day. After the event with the priest, Issei was brought into the public eye once again. This time, it was because there was reportedly a "madman" who "broke into his home and attacked his family, right before suicide bombing himself in his backyard". The details were unreliable, but that was the only explanation they had. Though, the investigation was ongoing. Nevertheless, it worked perfectly for Issei. It seems like one of the priest's allies brought themselves out of the shadows after that. They must have known that it was Issei who killed him, because of his history and the fact that the priest disappeared there.

Perfect.

The current situation was that Issei was being followed on his way home. 2 people. Better than perfect, "the more, the merrier". Somewhere, deep inside himself, Issei felt a great satisfaction in realizing there was more than one.

—It would certainly allow him to kill more of them.

Issei led the two astray. He wasn't going anywhere near his home, of course. Far from it. He was bringing them near a familiar forest. It had become nostalgic place to him, at this point. He subconsciously relished the idea that he was murdering them in this "nostalgic place". He also noticed, that the moment he entered the forest, one of them separated from the other and took to the trees. They were planning to get the drop on Issei by staying ahead?

Good. It felt even more satisfying to think of crushing their hope when their little "plan" failed.

Finally, Issei made it to the familiar clearing he trained in regularly, in the past. Soon enough, a robed figure stepped out from the treeline behind him.

"I have found you, heretic."

The man removed his robes to reveal himself as another priest with an odd glowing weapon in hand. More importantly, he had the same bone cross on his chest.

"I will slay you here, in the name of the Lord! And, in the name of [ **Genesis** ]!"

"...Heh... So that's what you call yourselves…."

A cruel, dark smile slowly stretched apart Issei's cheeks.

"... _Genesis_ …."

But, before Issei could do anything—

 _ **ZIN!**_

"Aaaaaaaaghhh!"

A blade made of an odd light stabbed into the priest's leg. He fell back and held his pierced knee in pain.

" _It is I who has found you, heathen_!"

Issei whipped his head around to the trees behind him, following the source of the voice. There was someone in robes, on top of a branch. The one that Issei had assumed was his ally. Yet, they were the one who threw the weapon. The person removed their robes, revealing their true form.

 ** _Foosh!_**

 **[—?!]**

—The one who stood on the branch was a young girl with short, red hair, but not much older than Issei himself. She was dressed in odd, white battle attire, and on her belt rested a sword in sheath.

" _You are finally mine, heathen! To brainwash and forcibly convert others to Christianity, and kill all of those who do not..! You will be brought to justice here! Heretic of [Genesis]!_ "

….

"...Hah?"

Issei was only able to make a confused sound as the girl jumped from the tree and landed in front of the priest. She unsheathed her sword without hesitation. It was a magnificent looking sword. She lifted it up and brought it down upon the priest, swiftly.

"Ah! Uaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh—!"

 _ **ZIN!**_

With one strike, the priest was dead. The girl lightly sighed in relief.

" _Haa~ Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to rid the world of these heathens. I will do my best to save those who can be redeemed and send those who cannot, to you. Amen_."

The girl finished her prayer while Issei stood there, silently, dumbfounded. Out of nowhere, another seemingly Christian exorcist appeared and stole his kill. And this one was not far from his age. No greater than maybe a couple years older. But more than that, her outfit felt obscene. All in all, Issei was completely lost.

"Ah, hello!"

The girl turned and greeted Issei randomly. She greeted him in Japanese. She seemed to bespeaking a different language just before. French, perhaps? The girl smiled at him, silently.

"...Uh…. Hi?..."

She merely continued smiling.

...

—Until she fell to her knees and dropped her sword.

"Haaaaa~! Lord! I have found someone who will communicate with me! Praise be! Amen!"

Issei still couldn't comprehend the situation very well. The girl suddenly shot up and smiled awkwardly.

"Um, excuse me, but…. Would you happen to know where the nearest church is?... Preferably a Catholic one... If possible?"

Issei cracked his head to the side.

"Hah?"

"Oh! Well, you see, I seem to have gotten lost on my way to my destination. I was stationed to a church here, and no longer had the means to contact them when I arrived…. And, I got lost…. So, um, teehee~"

She lightly "bonked" her own head while playfully sticking out her tongue in a cute gesture. To which, Issei still didn't understand.

"...Um…. Who are you?..."

"Oh!"

The girl suddenly gained a look of realization.

"Right!"

The girl picked up her sword and lifted it into the air. She then picked up one of her legs and spun around on the tippy toes of her other leg, like a ballerina.

"I am a devout Catholic who lives in the presence of Christ and his glory! I am the prodigious exorcist who is known, mostly, throughout all— * _ **Whisper**_ ( _of France_ ) _**Whisper**_ *— the lands! I am the [" **Blade of Rouen** "]! I am Marie Bellerose!"

She took a pose as she ended her announcement, proudly, and with a smile. Issei only remained silent.

…..

…..

…...

The girl's body began shaking from the struggle to hold her pose. Her smile looked to be twitching nervously.

"...Um…. Okay?….."

 _ **Thud!**_

—Once Issei said that, the girl immediately dropped back down to her knees with comically large tears in her eyes.

"Aaaaaaaah! Thank you, Loooord! I have finally found someone I can call an ally!"

….

"Ally?..."

* * *

That was the fateful day Issei met that girl, his friend— the girl named:

 _ **Marie.**_

* * *

 **End**

 **Alright! Finally this is done! So, longer chapter than usual! As I said before, multiple things happening in one chapter instead of only being centered over one overall event.**

 **So, did I get you? Did I scare you? Some of you didn't get worried when the Glasya-Labolas showed up, but how about now huh? You think I'll hold back? Who do you think I am? Ahahahahaha!**

 **Anyway, got a few things that happened. First Issei ran into a familiar figure in the beginning. Just a little check up by one of the big guys. Wonder if he noticed the darkness within the determination of the child's eyes? After that, we got a random stray killing and some foreshadowing on the next part with some insight to Issei's psyche. Next, our boy Narutobi makes a return. Too bad Gudo didn't stay friends with them, but at least they're still friends. Then the fuckin priest. Issei lost it there huh. So many things were throwing his mind into disarray, practically the only thing keeping him aware was malice. He did not show mercy. Woof. And lastly, a new ally?! Just some random exorcist randomly came in and stole Issei's kill and then she suddenly declares them allies?! Maybe he shoulda killed her. Ah, in case you want a visual on what she looks like, go ahead and look up: Boudica from [Fate - Grand Order]. That should give you a key visual. The design is the same, but their characters aren't really alike nor are there stories. Just visually the same. Ah, also, she happens to be older than Issei by 2 years. But there'll be more to her in the next chapter.**

 **So yeah, tell me what you guys thought. What does Issei's meeting with the Cadre-Class Fallen Angel mean for the future? Maki is actually a shy girl? Who are these priests that keep coming up? Are they part of a group? What is Genesis? What direction is Issei's psyche beginning to take? Who is Marie and why is she here?**

 **And the most important question for the most attentive readers out there. There are a lot of undertones for a certain thing here since the beginning of the story. And I'm not talking about stuff like psychological cuz no shit, but what I mean is there is one certain action that has been highlighted throughout the story. And it has also been more prevalent in the latest chapters. What is this undertone? I'll give you a little hint. [The worst death]. But what is it? Find out. All you have to know is that it's important.**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**

 **P.S. Ah, I almost forgot, but there was a little reference to Tokyo Ghoul in there. The random stray who had purple hair and glasses was just Rize lmao rip in peace.**


	9. Chapter 9: Genesis

**Okay, guys, we are back again! Sorry for the delay. If you don't know, on my main story (Red Dragon Of Golden Light) I happened to have some really important developments happening in the story and as a result, I just couldn't leave a long gap in between updates (mainly because of random bouts of inspiration) and had to update twice. Which basically means that I uploaded two long ass chapters in quick succession of each other, within the span of two days. A [** _ **DOUBLE FEATURE**_ **]. In other words, a day apart from each other. Now, you may or not think that's crazy, but you have to consider how long the average chapter is in Red Dragon Of Golden Light.**

 **Nowadays, the average chapter of Red Dragon Of Golden Light, is 20,000 words. Up until now, the longest chapter I had ever written, was for that story, chapter 20 at 27,000 words. But as it turns out, it was not only surpassed in quality, but in length as well. And I didn't even see it coming myself. But chapter 23 (Heroes) ended up being around 21,000 words. Pretty average. Then it happened. Chapter 24 (Rebirth)...I want you to guess how long it was. I'll wait.**

… **.**

 **Yeah, it was 40,000 words long.**

 **Oh, and also, I released it 30 hours after the previous fucking one as well. So, it was written within the span of a day.**

… **.Anyway, now that that's over, I'm getting back to these stories. Hopefully you didn't wait too long (you did.). Now let's get into it.**

 **Prepare yourselves, this one's a fuckin roller coaster. I hope you're ready for it. Ah, also, it's gonna be a fuckin long one.**

 **P.S. I also released a double feature for Red Dragon Of Stupidity as well within days of each other so that's also why the delay. Don't expect a double for this one because I have to get to A Fool's Heart as quick as I can. But if I get some random inspiration I'll see. Just no promises, sorry.**

* * *

 **-SCENE-**

 _("Follow me.")_

That was what the odd woman said. It was just after she had appeared. Issei was luring a priest from the now named group, Genesis, into the forest to kill him. And possibly find any information out about his allies. But that didn't go as planned. Out of nowhere, the random woman jumped out and attacked the man thought to be her ally. As it turns out, she wasn't his ally. Instead, she was a completely random Exorcist with an odd, almost lewd, appearance and quirky personality that Issei found annoying.

In the end, she killed the priest herself, stealing Issei's kill and suddenly labeling them as allies. Accordingly, she happened to speak a few languages, one of them being Japanese. For some reason, this ended being the catalyst to the current "alliance".

But ironically enough, though she initially said [follow me], the moment they stepped out from the forest, she rubbed the back of her neck and said:

"Ah…. Ehehehe….. So…. Where is that church you mentioned?"

Issei furrowed his brows in disbelief. There went any dramatic effect left from the phrase she had left behind. He clicked his tongue.

"Tch. Follow _me_ , then."

"Ay, Ay!"

She saluted as Issei began leading the way. It had only been 3 minutes since he met her, yet he was already beyond irritated with her presence, above his confusion.

They walked for a few minutes in directions that the girl, named "Marie", did not at all understand. Issei couldn't help but become more and more irritated as they walked. This Marie girl would constantly begin to wander off every moment he took his attention away from her, walking to various shops or looking at different sights in curiosity. It was like taking care of a child. Not like Maki however. Maki was a good girl who listened to people's directions and didn't wander off like an idiot.

"There it is."

 _ **Bump!**_

"Oh, sorry!"

Issei stopped to motion to the Catholic school ahead of them, and Marie ended up bumping into him from behind thanks to her listlessness. Issei grumbled in irritation, but shook it off nonetheless.

"Hm? This isn't a church."

Issei answered her blankly.

"There aren't any Christian or Catholic churches here in these parts. You'd have to go further into Nagoya for that. This is the best you can do. Deal with it."

Despite Issei's callous and somewhat intentionally rude response, Marie nodded her head in understanding.

"Hm, hm. I see. Okay! This should be fine enough."

At that moment she pulled off the robes covering her body and revealed her slightly lewd appearance again.

"Hmph. Well, if you're satisfied with this then I should be goi—"

Just as Issei was about to leave, Marie's hands wrapped around his arm and halted him from leaving.

"W-Wait! You can't leave yet! We are allies, so we should go in together!"

Issei raised a brow in annoyance.

"Haaah? I never agreed to be your fuckin ally. You're the one who came in and stole my kill while calling us allies in the first place, so as far as I'm concerned you're a damn nuisance. I'm going now. Don't get in my way, or next time, I'll kill you."

Right before he took a step, Marie pulled down on his arm once more.

"Wait!"

Before Issei could become enraged—

"Let's exchange information."

[—!]

That caught Issei's attention. Marie lifted her head with a smirk.

"You want to find Genesis too don't you? Then, let's talk about what we know. I'll give you all the information I have on them, and you'll do the same about this area, deal?"

Issei contemplated for a bit.

' _Ddraig, should I do it?'_

[I see no point in denying, Partner. She likely knows something more. We have no reason to try and deny ourselves of that information.]

Issei looked back down to Marie. She was smiling innocently.

' _Ugh…'_

"...You better not hold out on me."

Marie's smile became wide and bright.

"Ay, Ay!"

She saluted him happily.

With that, Marie took the lead and led them inside. Once they walked inside many eyes were on them. It seemed to be a Catholic school with dorm rooms for students, but classes were possibly going on considering the lack of them. The individuals they kept encountering were priests and sisters.

Issei couldn't help raise a brow whenever they passed these people, because everytime they did they would greet each other with their crosses and say: "Blessed be." to Marie. At first, he assumed it was just the odd way that Catholics greeted each other, but then he realized that while walking through the school Marie no longer had the robe from before. Her weapons were completely exposed. They knew she was an exorcist.

After a few minutes of walking, Marie stopped in front of what looked like a high priest of some sort. They greeted each other respectfully and spoke in a different european language. Most likely French. That seemed to be her native language. They spoke a bit to each other and Marie seemed to receive directions from him.

"Okay, come on. This way."

Marie motioned for Issei to follow. They ascended up a few floors passing classrooms and what seemed to be dorms until they reached a room with double doors. It resembled something like a chairman's office. Marie opened the door.

"Wait here."

 _ **Dakun**_.

She entered the room while Issei waited outside a bit impatiently. It only took a quick minute before Marie walked back out.

"Okay, this way then!"

Issei followed her. He was starting to become irritated again. Soon enough, they reached a line of student dorm rooms. Some of them, unlike others, didn't have any names in their door sliders. Marie randomly walked up to one and nodded her head.

"Mm! This should do!"

 _ **Dakun!**_

She threw the door open and motioned for Issei to step inside.

"Oui! Please come in!"

Issei glanced at her blankly and back into the room. He stepped in.

It was quite a lavish looking room. The school in general seemed to be expensive and clean. The room itself had a twin sized bed with a tv and a lamp on the side of the bed. There was also a couple nice cushioned chairs beside the bed. Issei decided to sit on one. Meanwhile, Marie kicked off her boots and jumped onto the bed.

"Yaaay! Bed~! I got so tired of sleeping in the forest~"

Issei decided to ignore her comments.

"So, what do you know then?"

Marie snapped out of it and sat back up. Issei noticed she didn't have socks under boots and was now barefoot. Minor detail, but as a Japanese person it still felt peculiar to him.

"Ahem. Hm…"

Marie gained a serious expression. Something Issei did not think would ever happen.

"Genesis. A radical Catholic cult. The original sect is located somewhere in France. However, it seems that they have been splitting themselves into divisions as to avoid detection. Considering that their whereabouts were close to being located, it is believed that their sect split into two main divisions and separated by country. One of them made their way into Eastern Europe, most likely the Ukraine, meanwhile the other division jumped to Asia, and landed in Japan. Here. So, that's why I'm here. I was sent here on behalf of the Rouen Cathedral base, in beautiful France! My mission, is to find and disassemble the heretical sect before they can carry out any more of their evil schemes!"

She finished her speech proudly with her large chest puffed out. It caught Issei's eyes for a second, but he quickly shook it off.

"Is that so? Well, good for you, but that's not the information I wanted to hear. I wanted to hear about where they were."

"Eh?...No, well, I-I don't know that myself yet either. That's why I was happy I found you. I thought maybe you would know.."

Issei sighed. Just as he thought.

"Well then, in that case, this ' _exchange_ ' is worthless to me. I'll be going now."

Issei stood up to leave, but Marie frantically stopped him.

"W-Wait! Don't you want to know how they operate or bring followers in?! O-Or maybe you want to know their weapons and abilities?!"

Issei narrowed his eyes in intrigue.

"...Go on…."

Marie smiled brightly and Issei sat back into his seat. Marie sat on the bed and cleared her throat.

"Right. A majority of Genesis followers are actually those who have been brainwashed by the original priest and church followers who formed or joined the cult intentionally. The one we encountered was just another crazy member from the original sect who was already a twisted follower with twisted views. Most of those who act alone tend to be the actual twisted ones. They bring in and brainwash others into joining the cult forcibly through cruel means like kidnapping and sometimes torture. They kidnap any who don't seem to hold Christian values like them, and kill any who they cannot turn. Women, men, children. They do not discriminate. They have been known to leave behind heinous crime scenes."

 _ **Oohhhmmmm**_ …

Issei's body unknowingly released a silent, unsettling pressure. Marie felt chills and held onto her arms. Her gaze landed on Issei nervously.

[Partner. Calm yourself. Your aura is leaking. You are frightening her.]

Issei realized it and took a breath to calm himself.

"Suu…"

The pressure slowly alleviated.

' _Aura?'_

Issei shook off his thoughts.

"Continue."

"E-Eh?"

Marie snapped out of her fear.

"A-Ah…. R-Right…. Um, anyway, they bring others in through terrible means. In terms of numbers, they tend to grow as quickly as they dwindle, but that only worked because of where they were located until now. They've moved to places like Ukraine, and most importantly Japan, most likely to remain discreet and best avoid detection. But unfortunately for them, this also means that they have less of a chance of finding potential followers they can more easily brainwash to join because of the belief systems in these countries. Not to mention, it will become more difficult for them to get as many followers when they're trying to lay low in the first place. It's a double edged sword. Thankfully, we had that Sacred Gear user who could use his power to pull out the truth from one of the captured heretics and heard their plan. That's why I'm here. The only problem was that the locations were nonspecific, so all we got for this country was " _Nagoya, Japan"_. In terms of weapons, they have the usual stuff. Light guns, light swords, holy water, crosses, maybe some magic seals. They have many priests and Exorcists in their ranks, but they all tend to be low level. So, in the end, our biggest problem with them is their ability to hide. If we can find them and take the heads down, then we've won. After that, we just help the brainwashed folk become normal again."

"Heeeeh…. That so?..."

Issei raised a brow after processing her large exposition dump.

"They only sent you?"

She smiled and saluted.

"That's right! The [Blade of Rouen], at your service! Ah, but my organization did make sure to contact any Catholic organizations located here in Japan to make sure I would have allies. So basically, my job is to pinpoint the division's whereabouts, come back here to this place, and launch an all out assault on them to take them down!"

Issei raised a brow again.

"If they called every Catholic place in Japan to inform of your mission, then why didn't they just send someone to pick you up from somewhere?"

She became reserved and twiddled her fingers.

"W-Well…. The Blade of Rouen should be able to find her way on her own…."

"Ah, so it was just your fault."

"Uuu…."

She slumped her shoulders as blue lines of depression appeared above her head. Issei sighed. This person really was like a child. Even though she seemed older than him.

"Hm? Hey, speaking of which, how old are you?"

She snapped out of her stupor and smiled brightly while saluting.

"I am 14 years old!"

"Ah. So you're two years older than me then."

She suddenly gasped and had stars in her eyes.

"I'm older than you after all! Then! In that case, can you please call me Onee-sa—"

"Fuck no."

He immediately denied her.

"Uu…."

She sat at the corner of the bed depressedly again. Issei sighed again. He felt like his reactions would soon become stale around her. She seemed to lighten up and jump back to her spot on the bed in front of Issei.

"Okay, now you tell me what you know!"

"Ah."

That's right. It was supposed to be an exchange of information. However, there was nothing Issei could really admit that would help her case. It seems they had reached their conclusion. Issei scoffed.

"Fff. Unfortunately, I actually knew way less than you did. There's nothing I actually have to give you in terms of information. Looks like you're just too easy to play, Marie-chan."

Issei stood up to leave.

"Wha—?! W-Wait! W-Where are you going?!"

"I'm leaving. I have nothing to give you aside from maybe the fact that I'm a target to them. So sadly, that's all we have in terms of cooperation. Goodbye."

Marie jumped off the bed and grabbed onto his arm to stop him.

"You can't go! You're the first person who would help me or even knew about the cult's existence in the first place! You're the only one I know who knows his way around this place and possible information about their whereabouts that nobody else knows! Please!"

Issei pulled at his arm vexingly.

"What the Hell? Why are you so adamant to have me help you?"

Marie lifted her gaze from her grip on his arm with a serious expression.

"Y-You have something special, don't you?..."

[—!]

"You have a special power….don't you?... That's why you can face those priests…. That's why you have such an oppressive feeling to you…. You…..are not normal…"

Issei averted his gaze.

' _Ddraig…. What should I do?...'_

[It is up to you, Partner. Be wary that revealing this could make you a possible target, but you are used to that aren't you? Well in the end, whether you assist each other in finding this cult, the outcome will be the same won't it? If I recall, that was all that mattered to you.]

Issei narrowed his eyes.

' _...Yeah…. It is….'_

 _ **Shiiin!**_

Marie's sight was quickly blinded by a green light. When the light died down she uncovered her eyes. She was met with a Red gauntlet on Issei's left arm with a green jewel, yellow spikes, and a Dragon symbol in the center of it.

"I am Hyoudou Issei. This generation's current Sekiryuutei."

 **[—?!]**

Marie showed an expression of absolute shock as she backed away.

"...The….Red Dragon Emperor…."

"Hoh. So you do recognize it after all. That's right. I am the host of the Welsh Dragon Emperor. Introduce yourself, Ddraig."

A deep mystical voice emerged from the Gear for the first time.

 **[Greetings, child of God. I am most likely known to you as "Y Ddraig Goch". Though, I'm certain you recognize me.]**

Suddenly—

 _ **Thud!**_

Marie fell to her knees with her hands clasped together and held her head down.

"..Father who art thou in heaven, blessed be thy name…"

Issei confusingly raised a brow.

' _The Hell is she doing?'_

[She is praying.]

' _Nah, I get that, but for what? Did I scare her up too much?'_

[Perhaps, but I doubt it is so plainly stated with this girl. The faithful church folk tend to be quite the odd bunch.]

' _Ha. Don't even fucking tell me.'_

After a few seconds, Marie finally stood on her feet and smiled.

"O Lord. I thank thee. Truly, this is a blessed day. For someone such as me to have met the Heavenly Emperor, it is a great blessing."

[Hooooh.]

' _What is it?'_

[A significant departure from the traditional reaction. She seems to be grateful rather than hateful or terrified. What an odd girl indeed.]

' _Hmph. Keep stating the blatantly obvious, partner.'_

Marie smiled brightly which somehow irked Issei a bit.

"As I thought, this had to be a fateful meeting from the beginning! The Lord must have sent you to assist me on your journey! No, more than that, he must have brought us together for the sake of fulfilling some greater purpose! Aaaah, truly this is a blessed day! Praise be, praise be!"

Marie ended her speech by practically twirling around like a ballerina. Issei couldn't feel the ability to muster annoyance at this point. Issei shook his head.

"Woah, woah, woah, hold on a sec. I didn't say that I would be helping you yet. All I did was show you my Sacred Gear. Besides, I have no plans of joining the church or anything. I'm not about to become a Christian or an ally to them or something."

Marie smiled brightly.

"It's alright! There isn't a need for you to be Christian to join our side! There are many accomodation plans that have been made just in case one of the Heavenly Emperors were to be interested in joining our side! The church is very lenient in this case! You can join even if you are a heretic!"

Issei felt the annoyance activate again at being called a "heretic". Some part of him couldn't help but feel like the word itched something within him. And the itch sat right on the back of his head. He scratched his head.

 _'Fucking Zealous...'_

"Um, look, I'm seriously not interested in joining you guys in anything. Sorry to tell ya, but every experience that I've had with the church folk has been….a shitshow. In the end, people always died. It leaves a bad taste of blood in my mouth to think about joining you...fucks. So, because of that, I'll be denying your assistance after all."

Issei dematerialized his gear and began to walk out, but before he could reach the door, Marie stopped him for the millionth time. This time, in the worst manner.

"Wait... You have a family don't you?"

He froze midstep.

"The possessors of Sacred Gears, especially of _those_ Gears... They tend to lead….unfortunate lives…. If you've already unlocked that power….and you have a family….they may become targets in the futur—"

Suddenly, Marie's words were caught in her throat. She felt an overbearing weight on her entire body. As if gravity was pulling her towards the ground with unreasonable force. The yellow light in the room from the bright lamp and light above her head began to dim. —No. It simply felt as if the room's light was being snuffed out by a certain darkness that blanketed it, causing the world to go almost black. She slowly lifted her gaze….

— _A large green reptilian eye was staring right back at her from the ceiling above their heads._

 _ **CHILLS!**_

[Enough, boy. She was not implying herself as a threat. Now release her, lest you wish to die or kill everyone here. Fool.]

After a few short seconds, the pressure quickly lifted itself from the room.

…

"...Goodbye…."

Issei stepped to walk out of the room, but Marie snapped out of her shock and ran to stand in front of him.

"Wait!"

She stood against the door.

"Just….wait…"

Issei stood there impatiently. She turned around and slowly opened the door.

 _ **Dakun**_ …

She peeked her head outside of the door cautiously. Outside, there were 11 Exorcists lined against the walls of either side of the door.

"...It's alright... He's an ally…. I have it under control…. It's alright…."

She spoke quietly to them with sweat on her forehead…. The head Exorcist of the group slowly nodded his head. She silently shut the door. The Exorcists were armed with light swords and guns. But, most of their hands were shaking slightly.

 _ **Dakun**_ …

She turned from the door and motioned for Issei to sit down.

"Sit, please…"

Issei would have denied, but to avoid conflict, he felt the need to comply when he realized the room was surrounded just before. They sat back in their original positions.

 _ **Chirp~ Chirp~**_

Issei heard the light chirping from a bird outside of the only window in the room. It was until then that Issei realized— the school was dead silent. They went on lockdown.

"...When I said that your family would be targeted….. I'm sorry…. I didn't mean it like that….. I worded myself poorly….. I just meant to say that it's dangerous for someone like you to be around your family at all times…. At some point, when you become too powerful, you will be sought after. Many sides will want you to join them, and if you do or don't, others will want to hunt you for it. In all honesty, the best option would be to join a side and receive their protection…. That's what I hoped to have offered you…. If you were to join our side, your family would receive the proper protection. Otherwise, you will only continue to place them in danger."

Issei remained silent. He knew this. Ddraig had briefly explained the war between the 3 sides. The risks, and practically "requirements", that came with being the Sekiryuutei. And most of all, he understood that one day, he would most certainly have to leave his family. He understood that. Even now he understood it. In this current point of time, Issei attends a different school than Maki. This is because of the age difference, but the moment that she is set to attend his school, he will transfer to a neighboring one. Because if he can't protect his family at all times, then the next best option would be to distance himself from them whenever possible.

If he must attend school, it will be a different one from Maki's. This is why he studies so adamantly to get high scores. He attends the higher education schools, not because he's interested, but because if he is going to be targeted, he prefers to be targeted alone. And when he returns home or has days off, he makes sure to stay home at all times to protect them. But he knows this is only a temporary solution. He knows that one day, he'll have to leave. Most likely when he unlocks the "Balance Breaker".

"I know that."

Issei stated plainly.

"Of course I know that. But…."

—Memories of his past flashed through his mind. Blood and death.

 _("The children? Of course, I've been killing them.")_

He stared through her with a dark gaze.

"If I'm going to choose a side…. It certainly won't be with you bastards…."

"..!"

Marie's expression of shock, slowly shifted to one of sadness.

"Is….that so…"

Issei sighed lightly.

"Well, that doesn't mean I'll be choosing sides anytime soon. For now, I'm on my own."

Issei stood from his seat. He no longer sensed the Exorcists outside of the door.

"Wait."

Marie stopped him for the last time.

"Are you really going to go after Genesis yourself?"

Issei nodded.

"Yeah, that's right. You can't stop me."

Marie shook her head. She stood up from the bed herself and looked to him with an almost pleading expression. She bowed fully to him.

"Please, let me assist you!"

Issei was taken aback by her sudden plea.

"..Please….at the very least, if you don't want to assist _us_ ….then let _me_ assist _you_. This cult….they are truly evil…. Above all, the priority is to defeat them. No matter what it costs me. This is my mission. I _must_ stop them….. That's why…..please…..let me help you…"

"You…. You mean you'll help me hunt and find them?"

Marie nodded her head from below.

"I plan to kill them."

She nodded once again. She was okay with it.

"What about those who are brainwashed?"

She hesitated.

"...I would hope...that you don't kill them…. But….if it is not possible to save them…"

For some reason, for the first time during the entire interaction they've had since meeting each other, Issei felt the urge to smile. In truth, even though he didn't know it himself, he never planned to kill the brainwashed members indiscriminately.

"...Heh."

Issei cracked his fingers.

"Alright. Fine. You've got me."

Marie lifted her head in surprise.

"Eh?"

"You've got me. I suppose having a little sidekick wouldn't do too much bad in finding these bastards. I'll have you tag along for now. But if you ever get in my way, I'll just consider you one of them and kill you without remorse. Got it?"

Rather than responding with the rational response Issei expected, Marie's face slowly brightened into a big smile and she jumped to hug onto Issei.

"Yaaaaaaay! Thank yooooouuu~!"

"Ah! Oi, hey! What the Hell are you doing?!"

Marie clung onto Issei annoyingly, to the point that Issei became irritated and started to pry her off.

"Get...the...Hell….off….me!"

He finally was able to pry her off his body and push her away. Nevertheless, she continued smiling for some reason.

"Oh, oh! I know! Here, sit down! Sit down!"

"Hah? Why?"

"Just sit, sit, sit! Wait here!"

She motioned for Issei to sit back down in his seat. He complied out of her insistence. After that, she turned and bolted to the door (forgetting to put her shoes back on) and ran barefoot out of the door.

 _ **Dakun!**_

Issei sat and waited silently. She was gone for a few minutes. But as the time passed, Issei started to become uneasy.

' _What if she's telling them about me?..'_

[Hm. If she returns with others, she has told them you are the Sekiryuutei. If she returns completely alone, she has told them that you are either a low level sacred gear user or most likely, she has told them you will leave here and never return.]

' _Let's hope it's that last one.'_

Issei sat and waited for a couple minutes more. He noticed the sounds from the school slowly return. After what felt like 10 minutes, the door finally opened. Issei caught a whiff of a peculiar smell as Marie entered the room.

"Here we are~!"

—Marie had entered with a tray of freshly baked sugar cookies.

"Hah?"

Issei could only make that sound. Marie walked up to his seat and held the tray out to him.

"Here you go! They're all freshly baked! Feel free to take as many as you like!"

….

Issei could only stare at the tray of cookies. He glanced back up at Marie. She just held that same innocent smile from before…..

"...Uh…"

Issei slowly picked up a cookie. Marie stood straight and waited.

"... _ **Crunch**_ …."

Issei slowly took a bite of the cookie and chewed it…... Marie continued to smile expectantly…..

"...It's good…."

Her smile brightened tenfold and Issei became blinded by its light.

"Reeeaally~?! Yaaaaaaaay~!"

"Ah, my eyes! Dammit!"

Marie placed the tray on the stand beside the bed and extended her hand to Issei.

"Then I look forward to working with you, partner!"

She held her hand out for a handshake excitedly. Issei stared at it for a couple seconds.

[Looks like you have someone else to call 'partner'.]

' _Shut the hell up.'_

Issei slowly took her hand and shook it. He was once again blinded by her smile as she jumped for joy.

"Yaaaaaaaaaay~!"

"Ah, God fucking dammit!"

"I'm so haaappyyyy~!"

"Ah! I get it, I get it, so turn that shit off!"

If he hadn't been blinded, he would have noticed her breasts bouncing as she jumped. Well, he did notice it, but he decided to not think about the lewdness of her obscene outfit. He shook his head.

"Well, anyway, now that that's over I'll be taking my actual leave now. I suppose I'll contact you if I find anything. Here. Here's my home phone. Ah, I'll be getting a cell phone soon as well, so I'll give you that number when I get it. If I find out anything, I'll go ahead and call the school to let you know. See ya later."

Marie smiled and nodded her head vigorously. Issei began to walk out uninterrupted this time. Until he opened the door.

"Ah, hold on!"

He turned around and saw Marie holding out a half eaten cookie.

"You forgot your cookie!"

She held it out with an innocent smile. Issei stared at it blankly. He did not forget it, he just left it there. He smiled wryly.

"Ah, sorry, I'm kind of a germaphobe so I don't like to touch things other people have touched."

Marie suddenly turned around picked something up from the bedside. When she turned back she had the whole tray of cookies in her hands.

"Here you go! Take as many as you like!"

….

Issei slowly took a cookie off the tray and walked out of the room.

"...See ya…"

"Bye, bye~!"

 _ **Dakun**_.

With that, Issei made his way out of the school. He noticed many of the priests and sisters around him staring silently at him. But more than that, he felt the presences of many Exorcists following him until he finally exited the school. He walked away, slowly building distance from the school to finally head home.

' _So, Ddraig, what do you think of her?'_

[Hm? That should be my question to you. My opinion hardly matters.]

' _Your opinion is literally what has kept me alive this long.'_

[Hoh. Is that so?]

' _What? Is that weird?'_

[Well, considering the lack of communication between my past hosts and I up until this point, yes, you are an odd one. Never in all of my history have I had a host as communicative as you. Most would simply ignore me and drown in their own power. But you were the first to openly communicate with me. Ah, aside from one of my younger hosts, but he was a pacifist who never once used my power. He was the only Sekiryuutei the world never knew existed. Regardless, you are the only host to use my power and continuously consult me about it.]

' _Huh. That so? Well, anyway, I still want to hear your opinion about it.'_

[Very well. But, let's hear yours first, partner.]

' _Mine... Hm. Well, I don't sense anything….how do I say? Dark? From her. Unlike people like Zealous or that priest from Genesis, she doesn't give me any chills or uneasy feeling from being around her…. I'm not sure if that just means I'm being fooled though, so that's why I wanted your opinion on it.'_

[Mm. You are correct, partner. I have encountered many existences in and out of my time, many of them being powerful or pure evil. The girl is neither. She is not particularly powerful or purely evil. Though, her sword seems troublesome. There doesn't seem to be indicators or feelings of animosity from her. I feel no dark intentions. Therefore, I believe it is alright to cooperate with her. Whether you trust her or not, that is up to you.]

Issei scoffed.

' _Trust, huh?'_

He stopped at a stoplight to cross the street. He looked down to the sugar cookie in his hand.

…

He took a bite of the cookie.

' _Mm…. Not bad…'_

And walked to his home.

 **Part 2**

 _ **Whistle~! Whistle~!**_

The sounds of cheering and whistling. An event. Not just any event, but a swim tournament.

[First place, Akira Sendou!]

 _ **Whistle~! Clap Clap Clap!**_

[Second place, Akane Tsubomi!]

The cheering continued as the first two swimmers finished their swims. The first swimmer being an unrecognizable person. Meanwhile, the other was a familiar black haired girl. And the one who cheered and called out for her in the stands, was Issei.

"Yohsaaaaa! Tsuboooomiii~!"

The girl smiled brightly and waved from her place in the water. The race was over. After the final race, Akane Tsubomi's team, Issei's school team, ended up winning the tournament. They received a trophy for their win, took a commemorative photo, and the tournament subsequently ended.

Issei was previously situated with Tsubomi's family in the stands. A rather larger family consisting of her mother, father, 2 little brothers, and a grandmother. The other people that were part of her family in attendance, Issei did not know. Most likely some extended family like Aunts, uncles, and cousins. All in all, it was a rather large group. Maybe 15 people, not including him. He felt very out of place.

"Tsubomi-chaaan~! We're over here~"

The woman who seemed to be Tsubomi's mother called out to get her attention. She ran towards the group happily with a towel over her head.

"Kaa-san! Tou-san! Everyone!"

A couple of her cousins ran up and hugged her despite being wet, which gave them all a quick laugh. The family began exchanging pleasantries casually. Issei just stood at the sidelines a bit awkwardly. It wasn't until Tsubomi pointed him out that anyone had their attention on him.

"Hyoudou-kun! You came!"

She stepped in front of him while smiling and drying her hair. Issei smirked back.

"Heh. Well, there's nothing like a good show of competition for starting out the weekend. It was a good watch."

She blushed slightly while rubbing her hair with her towel and averting her gaze. Though, she seemed to be rubbing a place in her hair that was already dry.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry I couldn't get first place in my own race. It looks like I still have a long way to go…"

Issei shrugged.

"Eh, it's no big deal. [ _Being the best_ ] or [ _being number 1_ ], I don't think those types of things matter too much. At least not enough to keep you up at night or anything. I think what matters most is determination and focus. If you're determined and focused enough on something, you'll become great at it anyway. Most of those who become number 1 didn't realize it until they beat everyone. I have an eye for these things, thanks to my Sensei. So, if I know anything, I think you'll become a fantastic athlete. It wouldn't be a lie to say the determination and focus you displayed in your race was a bit mesmerizing. Ah, well, that's just what I say. In the end, my opinion doesn't really matter."

Issei finished it off casually. Unfortunately for him, there were a few family members teasingly whispering to each other and giggling after he finished. He smiled awkwardly at their reactions. Tsubomi kept her eyes down while her face and ears became red.

"T...Thank you…"

"Uh, yeah, sure."

Tsubomi's mother giggled and "whispered" to her husband.

"Ufufufu. Isn't that nice, dear~ Akane's boyfriend came to support her~ How cute~"

"Yes, yes. I will have to test his martial arts skills later. I won't hand my daughter off to a weakling."

Tsubomi turned blood red and shouted back at her family in distress.

"K-K-K-Kaa-san! T-T-Tou-san!"

"Ara, she seems to have heard us, dear."

"I will test his Judo first."

Issei sweatdropped as Tsubomi argued with her family.

' _Well, at least she seems happy….Hm?'_

Issei turned around. There were many families gathered around with their children. For some reason, he had felt like he was being watched.

* * *

Issei was on his way home after the event with Tsubomi. It was still early afternoon. After the tournament finished, her family had a bit of a potluck at their house with the family. Of course, Issei ended up being invited by her family, to which he first politely declined, but after seeing Tsubomi so disheartened by that fact he couldn't help attending. He didn't spend long there, maybe an hour or so, but funnily enough he did end up being "tested" by Tsubomi's father during his time there. It was a deep embarrassment for the girl who ended up covering her face the entire time (except for during the match) and just a bit awkward for Issei himself.

Oddly enough, Issei didn't need to boost to take down Tsubomi's bulky father. It was almost like his base strength was on the same level of a full grown adult. Maybe it was because he just seemed more skilled than her father, but if he recalled he was a mixed martial artist for years. Issei only seemed to win in terms of power. It was still a topic he needed to think about.

[—!]

He felt something as he approached his home. A familiar feeling that gave him chills, and even an subconscious, subtle hostility.

' _This feeling…!'_

Issei ran towards his home and jumped over the fence without hesitation.

[Partner. We will start training your instincts in recognizing familiar auras from now on.]

Issei burst through the door and ran up the stairs without listening to Ddraig's words, or his aunt calling him from the living room. He made it to the room of his cousin which the feeling was emanating from. He slammed the door open.

 _ **Slam!**_

"Maki!"

The sight he was met with—

"Nii-Nii!"

Was—

"Bonjoouur~!"

—Maki and Marie painting their nails on her bed.

…..

"Hah?..."

"Welcome home~!"

Maki dropped from the bed and crawled on her knees towards Issei while trying her best not to mess up her painted toenails.

"Maki…. What are you doing?.."

Issei picked her up from the floor bridal style and carried her back to her bed. She smiled and wiggled her toes at Issei to emphasize her pedicure.

"We're painting our nails~!"

"No... Well, I see that…. But, like…. I guess my question is actually for you…."

Issei said that plainly as he turned to Marie. Marie just smiled innocently and tilted her head, as if it was completely normal.

"Hm? Mani-Pedi?"

Issei just rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Just…. How did you get here?"

Marie lifted her hand in the air proudly.

"I called your home and Auntie Akane answered! I told her we were friends and that I wanted to come over! So she let me come over and I played with Maki-chan!"

Marie and Maki giggled to each other inexplicably.

"[ _Auntie Akane_ ]... So, Baa-san just gave the address to our home?.."

She nodded her head.

"Mhmm! And thanks to the map given to me by the school, I was able to find my way here!"

Issei sighed. If it was his uncle Satoshi, he would've given whoever was over the phone an extensive psychological analysis without them even realizing it. It feels like the only reason his aunt didn't question it was because she was a young girl. Issei didn't have many of those types of friends. He already got a bit of a soft lecture when he rejected Akane and _Akane_ found out. Truthfully, she wasn't cautious enough. Satoshi would agree. Especially considering that Marie carried around weapons under her definitely not suspicious white church robe.

"Alright….. Maki, Marie and I are gonna go talk in my room. Just, uh, let me know when lunch is ready."

"Yes, Nii-Nii~!"

Issei started to walk out as Marie removed the dividers between her toes and struggled to pick up the rest of her stuff without messing up her painted hand & toenails.

"Ah, wait! I don't want to mess up my nails! They're still drying!"

Issei just ignored her as he walked into his room and waited for her to enter. Marie wobbled in with her belongings in her arms and placed them on the bed.

"Phew~"

She sat down and relaxed on Issei's bed without reservation. Issei only stared at her with a deadpan expression.

"So, why are you here?"

He asked as he shut the door behind him. Marie wiggled her toes and blew on her hands to dry her nails. Issei leaned against the door and waited impatiently. He crossed his arms and tapped his fingers on his skin. 1. 2. 3. 4….

"Mm! All dried up!"

Marie nodded with a smile. Her nails were painted light blue. She pointed her nails at Issei.

"Look! They match my eyes!"

Issei merely stared silently at her in annoyance. Marie frowned.

"..Well, I like them…"

Issei lost his patience.

"Why. Are. You. Here?"

Marie sighed. She looked back at him seriously.

"I may have found a new lead."

"!.."

Issei stood from against the door, no longer leaning on it. She had fully caught his attention.

"When?"

"Yesterday. I was out on patrol. I caught sight of an oddly clothed man. He was in priest clothing that didn't resemble the school's. I followed him until he walked into a building."

"Where?"

"An old abandoned factory. Not too far from here."

"Do you remember how to get there?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

Issei picked up a jacket and turned back to her.

"Let's go."

Marie quickly scrambled to put her boots and equipment back on. She flipped her white coat over herself to cover her body. They quickly walked out of the room and began making their way downstairs.

"I'm going out Maki, I'll be back in a few hours."

"Okay Nii-Nii! Love yooou!"

"Uh huh, love you too."

They landed downstairs and passed the living room his aunt was in.

"We're heading out, Baa-san."

"Okay! Have fun! Be careful you two!"

"Bye-bye, Auntie!"

"Bye-bye, Marie-chan~"

They finally exited the house and began making their way towards their destination.

"Where to?"

"Follow me."

Marie led the way to the factory. They passed many familiar streets and plazas. They kept their guards completely up while making their way over, in case there could any other potential enemies around. Issei could feel his instincts bring in the various sounds from all around him. A bombardment of sounds, sights, and smells invaded his senses. It would have been disorienting, if not for the fact that Issei's instincts were so focused on the "hunt" that he needn't even think. Only feel. As if his brain was on autopilot. The feeling of hunting something down, it was starting to become second nature to him.

Soon enough, they reached a much less populated area. Almost deserted. They could see the fence surrounding the factory across from them.

"It's across from here. Get ready."

Marie gave her warning quietly. Issei's gaze became sharper. A silent green light glistened from the back of his bare left hand. Marie's eye caught onto it.

"...Is that the Dragon's power?.."

"Yeah."

"It can give power in such a way?"

"Mm….well…"

Issei hesitated in explaining himself to her.

 _'Should I trust her?...'_

He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. She was looking at him seriously. There was not a single trace of negative intention in her gaze.

….

"..Originally, it was only possible to Boost one's power by spawning the gauntlet, and every time power was given, it would announce itself as a [Boost] with a voice and light. But thanks to the nature of the Sacred Gear, it was possible for me to use my will in making certain minor 'modifications' to the Gear. So now, it's possible for me to do it without the gauntlet or the sound of the power up. But I still haven't rid myself of the light. Though, I have been practicing it."

Marie nodded as they walked across to the gate.

"..Thank you for telling me."

"..."

Somehow, Issei felt an odd subtle feeling of satisfaction. He hoped this was something he wouldn't regret.

"This is where he went in."

They stopped in front of the metal gate. It was an old decrepit, abandoned factory. It looked to be maybe somewhere around 30 years old. The sign on the fence said: [Private property - No trespassing]. It was a high fence, but that would serve to be no problem.

"Should we jump it?"

Marie asked curiously as Issei took a step back. The moment he moved forward.

 _ **BAN!**_

He kicked the fence straight off its hinges.

 _ **DUN DUN!**_

The fence crashed to the floor with a loud smash. Marie was already on guard with a hand on the hilt of her sword.

"That wasn't very discreet."

Issei spoke in a flat and somewhat irritated tone.

"That's because they aren't here."

"Eh?"

Marie raised a brow. Issei was right. No one was there. He couldn't sense a single person on the factory grounds. But—

"Death."

He could easily smell the sickening stench of death. Blood and guts. All of it had become familiar to him. But more than that…

—It all smelled putrid.

"Let's go."

Issei stepped onto the facility grounds. Marie closely followed. Issei led them towards the smaller building to the right of the main facility. A storage house for extra parts of whatever they were making, most likely. They reached the large doors of the building and stopped in front. Issei held his hand out to prevent Marie from moving forward.

"Stay behind me."

Marie nodded. Issei stepped forward and placed his hands over the handles.

'One more, Ddraig.'

[Boost.]

He slowly pulled the double doors open.

 _ **TOOON**_ ….

It was pitch black inside.

"Watch my back."

Issei stepped in with proper caution. He couldn't take the chance of something being there that could hide its presence. He finally spawned his gauntlet on his arm.

"Ddraig."

[Yeah.]

The moment he called it out, he lifted his gauntlet and held it up near his face. A bright green light illuminated the path in front of them by a meter. They began walking in cautiously. Issei's eyes moved from side to side slowly, taking in any detail he could. It was an old automobiles factory. It was dusty, cold, and dark. There was practically no light entering from the outside world. It almost gave the impression of being night time. Not a bad place to hide.

"Hm?"

After walking for a couple minutes, they soon reached what looked like a workstation. But Issei noticed a peculiar detail as he rubbed his hand over it.

"...It's been used recently.."

Someone had been sitting at the workstation. Working on something that was most likely not cars.

"Marie. Don't go beyond that corner."

Issei gestured to a corner ahead of Marie as he inspected the workstation.

"Why not?"

"Because something is there."

He continued inspecting. Just beyond the corner, that's where he caught the stench originating from. The stench of death. Marie turned to gaze at the darkness of the corner.

 _ **Step**_...

She took a step forward silently and began walking towards it. Her curiosity was getting the best of her. She passed beyond the corner without alerting Issei. It was almost pitch black in front of her. She could hardly see as she stepped forward. She was cautious, but she still hoped that she wouldn't trip over anything.

 ** _Slide_** …

"Eep!"

Marie quietly squealed as she felt something lightly brush against her leg. It was something soft. And cold. She couldn't see it very well, but she knew it had an odd shape. She leaned herself down and tried to focus her vision on what had touched her. It was something inside of a large metal contraption with bars. Almost like a cage. Whatever had touched wasn't moving though. She looked closer...

Issei knelt down and looked under the workstation. Boot prints. They were a large size that most certainly belonged to an adult male. Judging from the lack of dust in certain areas, and Marie's description, he was there not too long ago. The same day probably. He must have realized Marie was following him and quickly packed up and left.

Marie looked closer at the form. Her vision finally focused and realized the shape.

—It was a human hand.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

(—?!)

Issei whipped his head around to the corner in Marie's direction. He bolted from his spot towards it.

"Marie!"

He bolted passed the corner and used his sacred gear to light up the room she was in. When he did—

"O Lord!..."

Marie was on her knees, clutching her mouth, and shedding an endless stream of tears. In front of her was a cage. The light slowly illuminated the cage. Inside of it—

.

.

.

.

.

— _A pile of dead rotting children stacked on top of each other._

 _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCHHH!**_

Issei fell to his knees and clutched his head tightly. His claws dug into his skin and felt like it was crushing his head. Memories of images and sounds crashed violently into his mind. Within his terrifying shock, was an uncontrollable fury.

 _《Of course I've been killing them.》_

 _'KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM'_

 _《They aren't heretics like you.》_

 _'KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM'_

 _《It shouldn't be difficult. Especially for a child.》_

 _'KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM'_

[PARTNER!]

—Issei felt an immense weight drop upon his body. As if he had been ripped from the world and subsequently returned in an instant.

[Partner! Leave this place! There is nothing for us here! Go, now!]

 _'...Ddraig…. They have to die…. THEY HAVE TO DI—'_

[Not now, partner! The woman, partner. She is your ally is she not? If you do not remove her from this place, she will go mad.]

Issei turned his sight towards Marie. Her expression was beyond the realm of shock. It looked as if she would begin to lose her sanity.

"O Lord! Our father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be the name!"

[Now, partner. Lest you wish to watch her lose it.]

Issei stuffed down his complex clashing of emotions and brought himself to his feet forcefully. He pushed force into his legs and and ran to pick up Marie against her will.

"No! No! Please! I have to pray! I have to pray for them! Please! Please, no! Lord! Our father! Who art in Heaven! Hallowed be thy name!"

Issei pulled Marie's body up as she struggled against him. In the end, all he could do - was run away.

* * *

 **-DxD-**

 _ **Chirp~...Chirp~**_

The sounds of birds chirping. The world was running as normally as ever. Completely unaware of the tragedy that took place in that factory.

"... _ **Sniff**_ …."

A little sniffle. Issei and Marie were sitting silently, outside against the wall of the storage building they were just previously in. Just before, they had discovered something horrifying inside of the building. Issei had no choice but to rip himself and Marie forcefully from the sight. Now, they were sitting next to each other quietly, though, Marie had only just ceased crying.

"..."

Issei sat back against the wall lazily, with his legs open in a manner similar to a delinquent. He had what initially looked like a bored expression on the outside, but the irises of his eyes were completely hollow. His mind was empty. It was almost as if he was dead.

"...Why?..."

From next to him, Marie spoke in a small voice. She was sitting with her head in her knees and her arms wrapped around her legs. Her expression wasn't visible thanks to her position. Issei turned to her blankly.

"...Why?... Why must these things happen?... Is this a trial from God?... I can't do it….. I don't have the strength….."

Issei turned back and gazed out into nowhere in the world. The accursed phrase in his head.

 _[You are but a child. There is simply nothing you can do.]_

…

"...I don't understand it, Lord….. How can this happen?... Why…...why must it always be….the children?..."

Issei's gaze slowly lifted to the sky. He gazed at the clouds silently, reminiscing on his life.

 _'...Always….'_

"Why Lord?... Why?..."

—For some reason, Issei turned to answer Marie's question with a dark tone.

"Your God isn't listening."

…...

…...

Marie stood up loosely.

" _ **Sniff**_ , _**sniff**_ …."

She simply wiped her nose. Her coat hanging in her other hand, she walked away silently with her head down.

"..."

Issei merely watched her walk off, and gradually disappear from his sight.

 **Part 3**

"I'm hooome!"

Issei announced himself as he entered his home. It had been 3 days since the factory incident.

"Welcome hoooome~!"

The one who greeted him back was Maki. He walked into the living room where his cousin was situated at.

"Welcome home, Ise-kun."

"Hey, Baa-san."

He greeted his aunt back from the kitchen as he sat down on the couch next to his cousin. He couldn't help but smile seeing Maki dressed in her full body panda pajamas. It was basically a costume.

"Oof. Haaaaah…"

He sighed after Maki sat onto his lap without hesitation as if it was routine. Or rather, it was a routine, since it always happens. At some point, he is worried it would become a problem. Not because she is heavy, but more because he's not sure when she's gonna realize she's too old for certain things. Especially bathing.

"Nii-Nii?"

"Hm?"

Maki looked up to him curiously.

"When is Marie-onee-chan coming back?"

Issei furrowed his brow. Ever since the day at the factory, he practically had no contact with Marie anymore. It was nothing but radio silence. He often wonders if she maybe did lose her sanity after that. Or possibly, she just returned home. But there are times when he passes that academy and he can feel her presence inside. In truth, they were most likely in the same position. Unmoving. They were making no progress in their "investigation". And every time he was reminded of it, the image of a cage flashed through his mind, and Issei became enraged.

"..I...I'm sorry, Nii-Nii…"

Maki apologized. Only then did Issei realize that he was gazing off in the distance with an enraged expression.

"Ah... Ah. No, no. It's alright. I'm okay. I'm sorry, Maki. I'm not mad. I love you, Kay?"

He rubbed her head softly. She smiled sweetly and laid back against his chest as she continued watching her show. Issei watched it alongside of her with occupied thoughts.

[So, what shall you do, partner?]

 _'What will I do?...'_

Somehow, Ddraig's words triggered a memory.

 _("I look forward to working with you, 'partner'!")_

…..

"I'll be back, Maki."

He tapped Maki's shoulder to indicate that he was going to stand. She slipped off as he stood up and walked to leave the living room. He walked out of the living room into the hallway next to the staircase. There was a landline phone sitting on a stand in the hallway. Issei picked up the phone as he pulled a slip of paper from one of the drawers of the stand.

He dialed the number into the phone dial. It was the number to the academy.

….

"Ah, hello. Yes, I'd like to speak with someone."

—.

"Yeah. Her name is Marie."

—.

[Alright. I'm connecting her to the phone in her room now.]

Issei couldn't help by raising a brow at the idea. They even had phones in some of the rooms. It really was an extravagant school. An odd beeping noise was made. Someone had answered the phone(?)

"Hello... Marie?..."

[...]

Nothing.

"Marie…. Are you there?..."

[...]

Again, nothing. Yet somehow, he felt like she was listening.

"...Listen... Marie…. I…."

He didn't know what to say. He couldn't think of anything.

 _("I look forward to working with you, partner!")_

….It's okay. Because he decided not think. Instead, he said what he felt.

"...Hey…. You said you had gone on patrol before?... We should go together from now on…. It's safer that way. Isn't it?..."

[...]

"...We should be searching for them together…. We shouldn't split up like the last time…. We shouldn't….face them alone….. I mean…"

—.

"...We're partners….aren't we?..."

Nothing.

…

"...Alright then…."

He hung up the phone. He unconsciously sighed.

 _'Well….No helping that I guess.'_

He didn't understand why, but he remained mostly silent for the rest of the day.

* * *

It was the next morning. Issei was lightly snoring in his bed. He was caught in a deep sleep. He dreamt of a white figure. Somehow, he felt a certain connection to it. But he was ripped from his sleep by a certain feeling.

(—!)

He whipped his body upward. That familiar feeling.

[Do you recognize it, partner? Good. We'll try to focus on that feeling from now on. You must learn to recognize other's presence at a moment's notice.]

Issei quickly stood up. Maki was not in his bed. That shouldn't be an odd occurrence considering their ages, but for someone like Maki who never separates from Issei when given the opportunity and this 'holy' aura he felt, it was an unsettling detail. He quickly made his way out of his room and went straight to Maki's. He opened the door cautiously.

"Maki?"

 _ **Dakun**_ …

"Good morning, Nii-Nii~!"

"Bonjooooour~!"

Maki and Marie's faces were covered in makeup.

….

….

….

"Why?.."

:Was all Issei could respond with. The two girls were sitting in front of a vanity with faces that looked almost like clowns. They had blue shading over their eyes with red lipstick and long eyelashes. Quite frankly, they looked ridiculous.

"... _ **Snort**_ …"

Issei made an abrupt snorting sound as he covered his mouth and averted his gaze.

"Nii-Nii! No laughing!"

Maki whined with a cute angry pout. Issei kept his face looking away from them as he held his mouth.

"...No…. I'm not...laughing…."

Marie smiled extremely brightly and clasped Maki's hands happily.

"Yaay! We made him laugh, we made him laugh! Teehee!"

Maki and Marie giggled happily with each other.

" _ **Sigh**_...I said I wasn't laughing dammit."

Issei said that while scratching his head, but there was a small smirk on his face. It was rare that Issei would smile these days. It was something Maki cherished deeply. Marie hadn't seen him smile much since they'd met, so it was somehow a happy sight for her.

"Well, anyway, seems like you're back in business…"

Marie turned her smile to Issei, but there was a small look of worry in her eyes. Issei smirked tiredly.

"Welcome back, I guess."

Marie jumped from her seat and cheered in absolute joy for some reason.

"Yaaaaaaaaay~!"

She grabbed Issei's hands and started trying to jump around the room while dragging him with her.

"Yay! Partners~! Partners~! Partners~!"

"Ah, Oi, Oi! Cut it out! Stop jumping!"

 **Part 4**

2 months had passed since Issei and Marie's first meeting. They would go on patrols twice every week. Though, that routine started to become even more frequent as they noticed that they had basically no current leads. Truly, the "organization" known as Genesis was a cunning one.

But above all that, Issei and Marie had finally become partners.

"Looks like it's no progress today either."

Issei cracked his neck as he and Marie walked across a public street.

"Unfortunately. It looks like they have taken some 'down time' after that problem at the facility. They must have known we found it that day and never used it again…"

Issei was reminded of the facility. It was ever since that day that he truly vowed to exterminate Genesis. However, after that day he and Marie couldn't help but think back to the children left behind. They deserved a proper send off. For that reason alone, Issei spent 3 entire days focusing on the idea of creating fire using his Boosted Gear.

Soon enough, he was able to create a flame that fit in his palm. It proved to be enough as he boosted it with power. He told Marie that he would "take care" of it, but she didn't allow him. Instead, she contacted the academy and had them transport the bodies discreetly. Afterwards, a private funeral was held with Issei, Marie, and the high priest of the school in attendance.

Marie cried profusely that day. She cried all through the high priest's prayers and even after the burial. The children were buried in the field behind the school, and a large golden cross was ordered to be sent in from Italy to rest on their graves. Despite all of her weeping, Issei asked Marie why she had done this alongside of him if it hurt her so much.

She merely smiled through her tears and said: "We're partners, aren't we?"

...Needless to say, there was a certain respect that Issei had treated Marie with, that no one else in the world had with him. Even if he didn't know it.

[Partner.]

 _'Hm? What is it?'_

[It has been a while since you've started, but I'm not sure you realize it at this point.]

 _'Realize what?'_

[You are hunting humans.]

Issei felt something. It was a sound. A subtle sound that didn't seem like it was from the outside world. Like a sound in the back of his head. A creaking. Like old wood. But it was deep. And low. And even if he couldn't hear it anymore, he felt like he could still somehow hear it creeping. Lingering. He lifted his hand slowly.

 _ **Tap tap**_.

And smacked the back of his head lightly.

….

It was gone after that.

 _'Humans….Those people aren't humans Ddraig. They're Devils.'_

["Devils"?]

 _'Yes. And just like Devils, they will be exterminated. Even if I have to take God's side for now, I'll use whatever means it takes to eradicate them.'_

[Is that so? What of those who have been converted forcibly? What will you do with them?]

'...'

For that, Issei had no answer.

 _ **Bump**_.

"Ah."

Issei had bumped into someone as they crossed the street. It was what looked like a blonde American man with his half Japanese son beside him. Issei couldn't help but have his attention caught by the boy who had blue shoes. They were shoes designed after the Tokatsu Hero "Ratin-chan" from Maki's favorite show. And they were in blue no less. That was Maki's favorite color.

The man smiled awkwardly and apologized while bowing slightly.

"Excuse us."

He spoke in rough Japanese. It was obvious that he had just learned how to speak it not too long ago. Issei smiled kindly and bowed as well.

"It's okay."

They continued walking without incident.

"Mmm~"

"Hm?"

Issei turned his head to Marie after he heard a hum. Marie had a dazzling sweet smile on her face.

"W-What?"

She just turned away and skipped forward a bit happily.

"It's such a cute smile for someone so scary~!"

"Huh?"

"Noooothiing~!"

* * *

It was night time now. There was hardly anyone around as Issei and Marie continued walking around.

"Alright. I guess that's all for today then."

"Uaah~"

Marie stretched her arms as Issei checked the time on his new mobile phone.

"Okay then. I'll be heading back then."

"You want me to take you back to the school?"

"Aww~ No, no, it's okay. Thank you for worrying about me~"

"Oh, please."

Marie held out her arms.

"Hm? What?"

She just held her arms open. Issei soon realized what she was implying.

"...No."

She puffed her cheeks in a pout and turned to walk away angrily.

"Fine then!"

Issei smirked teasingly.

"See ya tomorrow, partner."

"See you!"

She walked away with a huff. He turned to walk away.

"..."

He stopped. He slowly turned back. Marie was still walking away. But he felt something around her. She wasn't walking away alone. Issei immediately eliminated his presence and ran into a shadow. He began to follow Marie.

"Hmph! Even though we're partners we can't act like it? Hmph. Meanie. Stupid head! Gasp! Oh I'm sorry Lord! I didn't mean that! Please forgive me! Amen."

Marie prayed with her hands together as she stopped walking. As odd as it seemed to say, Issei knew his partner well enough to know she was acting - she realized she was being followed. She swiftly turned back around and changed her direction. Issei knew this path. She's taking them to the forest.

 _'How many of them are there approximately?'_

[10 of them. Try feeling their presences individually and then focus on them as a herd. If it is you, you'll catch onto it quickly.]

Issei followed them for a few minutes. He was able to pinpoint each of their presences one by one. After that he was able to focus on them altogether. It really was 10 people. A larger group. It looks like they were really planning to eliminate one of them. Too bad for them Issei was around. And thanks to them, he had just gained a new skill.

"O Lord. Please allow me to cleanse the world of the evil that taints it. With your blessing, I may create an even more beautiful life for all of your children. Amen."

Marie finished her praying in the clearing of a familiar forest. Quite frankly, Issei was attached to this forest at this point. After this, he would love it. Why? Who knows (kill them all inside of it.).

Then, 6 figures appeared out of the treeline with light swords in their hands. Already, it had started. Issei boosted himself silently. Just as he was about to move, Marie held out her arm.

 _'Stay back?'_

Marie tossed off her coat and revealed her usual battle attire. She had what looked to be a confident smile on her face.

"6? The number of the beast. This is the perfect amount for judgement. Very well. Come at me."

She unsheathed her magnificent sword. It had a simple design. A long silver blade, golden cross guard, blue hilt, and a golden pommel at the bottom. The cross guard of the hilt had a red jewel in it. Despite the simple design, the sword had some magnificent aura around it. It seemed like it had a 'holy aura', but Issei had never seen a sword with such an aura. Not to mention one without being made of out of light. A few of the priests around her became shocked.

"That sword is..!"

"Excalibur Blessing!.."

Issei narrowed his eyes.

 _'..Excalibur?...'_

Marie lifted the sword above her head.

"Now! Come face judgement!"

The priests launched themselves towards Marie all at once. Issei felt the urge to move, but Marie suddenly spun in a circle. He heard the sounds of slashing in the air.

 _ **ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN!**_

3 of the priests dropped to the floor while the others landed and clutched at their wounds.

"Too naïve, I'm afraid!"

Marie smiled as she made a flashy pose. The rest of the priest's jumped out from the treeline.

"Oh! Now it is 7! The Lord's number! Praise be!"

Marie continued slashing around gracefully like a ballerina. None of the priests could touch her. It was now that Issei could finally witness her skill as a swordsman. She was surely an expert. Though Issei didn't know much about fighting with a blade, judging by the Kendo tournaments he's attended, they couldn't compare. She hardly even needed his help with this group.

"Damn..!"

One of the priests suddenly pulled out an unfamiliar contraption. No, it did resemble something conventional. Seeing it caused Issei to jump forward without hesitation. Just as Marie turned around—

 _ **PAH!**_

"Kyah!"

 _ **PYU!**_

The bullet was deflected by Issei's gear.

"T...Thank you.."

Issei flipped around Marie and sent a priest tumbling back with a powerful strike that rendered him unconscious.

"Don't stop moving you idiot!"

"Eh? A-Ah! R-Right!"

They were now fighting alongside of each other. With the combined physical strength of Issei, and the impressive swordsman skills of Marie, the group of priests stood no chance. In fact, it seemed like a few of them were completely inexperienced.

 _ **Thud!**_

The last priest quickly fell to the floor. Only a small few of them were dead. The ones that left them no choice but to kill them. The only reason Issei even held back from killing them was for the sake of his partner. But it did irk him unbelievably.

"Okay! That's the last one! Let me borrow your phone, écaille!"

"Again with that fuckin' nickname…"

Issei handed her his phone. That was nickname that Marie had given him. Apparently it means "scales" in French. Scales. As in, for a Dragon or serpent. How "cute".

"Bonjour~? Yes, it is Marie~"

She spoke to what seemed to be the academy over the phone. Most likely to pick up the cult members. Issei knelt down beside some of the priests and inspected them. He turned their bodies over.

 _'Hm? That's odd._ '

[What is it, partner?]

 _'Some of these guys don't have that cross.'_

The bone cross was missing from a few of them. It was a minor, but odd detail. Why would some members have the cross but others not? Issei used the best of his deduction skills to find out a solution.

 _'Hm….If only some of the members have it but others don't, then does that mean they only have a limited number of them? Wouldn't they just be able to make more from bodies? No wait, their kill count hasn't been extremely high since coming here because they want to lay low…..so the numbers might be limited…..but then….who decides who gets one and who doesn't? Wouldn't they just get other crosses then?...But, these guys don't have anything….so….then there must be some certain criteria?...they have to kinda earn them or something?...Like, they're uninitiated ones?...Are?'_

He noticed something.

 _'The ones who don't have it are the ones who went down easy.'_

….Issei's eyes slowly began to widen.

 _'...The ones who didn't have the crosses…..the ones who felt inexperienced…'_

They were the brainwashed victims.

…..

"Hm? What's wrong?"

Marie asked curiously as she hung up the phone.

"..."

Three of them were dead. The brainwashed victims, Issei had killed one…..Marie had slain two of them.

"...Écaille?.."

Issei stood up, without turning.

"No, it's nothing. I was just checking if there were any clues on them or something."

"Did you find anything?"

"...No."

"Is that so? Too bad then. We'll see if the academy can figure anything out from them."

"Yeah.."

This was something Issei never revealed to Marie.

* * *

 **-DxD-**

6 months after the incident at the factory. 6 months since the first meeting of Issei and Marie.

"Mm! Délicieux~!"

It was a hot summer day. Issei and Marie were sitting on a bench together, eating popsicles. Why? Issei didn't know. Marie simply wanted some popsicles. Issei sighed.

"Haaah. No progress again. Looks like they went into super hiding after we took down a few of their squads. To believe I can't sense these bastards hiding anywhere, it makes me feel incompetent."

"I think Écaille is amazing! Even without my Excalibur's blessing you can fight so many people off easily, unarmed! My Partner sure is great!"

Marie said that with pride as she licked her popsicle. Issei deadpanned.

"Don't call me your partner in public. It sounds weird. Also, I'm shocked that despite it being six months with minimal progress the church hasn't dropped you and asked somebody else."

"Well, this was expected to be a one year long case after all!"

"Oh, fuck me."

"T-That's lewd, Écaille.."

Issei sat back with another sigh.

"Let's just call it day here."

"Hm? So soon?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow's my aunt's birthday so we gotta get a bunch of stuff ready."

Issei said that as he stood up. Marie lifted her hand excitedly.

"Ooh! Ooh! I want to attend Auntie's birthday!"

"Hm? You wanna be there?"

"Yes!"

Issei sighed for the third time.

"Well, I guess it's fine. She'd probably get mad at me for not inviting you and Tsubomi anyway."

He began to walk off, but Marie stood up and smiled.

"Ah, I also want to help prepare as well!"

"Hah?"

Issei turned and stared silently at her. She smiled innocently at him.

…..

He breathed the heaviest sigh he ever had in his life.

"HAAAAAAAAAH…..Alright, come on then."

"Yaaaaay!"

* * *

"Goodbye~! Thank you for coming, Marie-chan!"

"Bye-bye, Auntie! Bye-bye, Uncle! Bye-bye, little Maki!"

"Bye-bye!"

"Ise-kun, go ahead and walk her home?"

"Huh? Why do I have to?"

"Go. Walk. Her. Home~..."

"Y-Yes, Obaa-sama…"

 _ **Dakun**_.

Issei and Marie walked out of Issei's house. It was past evening, early nighttime. They set off on their path to the academy. Marie stretched her arms into the sky and breathed a soft sigh.

"Aaaaah~ I love Japan! Takoyaki is great!"

Issei smirked.

"Hmph. Glad you liked it. It's Maki's favourite."

"Mhmm, it's my favourite too!"

"It is?"

"Now it is!"

"Heh."

Suddenly, Issei felt an unfamiliar subtle feeling.

... _ **Sheeeeeeee**_ ….

(—!)

He froze in his step.

"What's wrong?"

Without answering Marie's question, he whipped his head in a certain direction. He bolted straight to it.

"Wha-?! Hey wait!"

Marie ran after Issei. Issei felt his killing intent rise slightly.

 _'This feeling..! It's the feeling of something inhuman!'_

He took many turns and ran down a bunch of different streets he didn't recognize. Soon enough, he slid to a stop in front of a large building sitting straight in the middle of the woods. A building he had never seen before, inside of the very forest he always trained in. Why had he never felt it until now? He noticed the odd looking seals on the building.

[Barrier seals. They placed a barrier over this place. It seems your power wasn't high enough to sense it being here. They must have been "hiding in plain sight" in your case. But now something has disrupted it. Be wary. It is not weak.]

Issei ran straight into the building without waiting for Marie who calling out to him from behind.

"Hey, hey! Hold on!"

The building was dark with the only real lighting being things like computer screens and vats. Vats? They were tall enough to fit people in. Experiments? Human experiments? Whatever the building was before, Issei didn't know. But it certainly looked like it was some odd research facility of some kind. For some reason, it was dead empty, and Issei couldn't sense people from inside of it.

Something caught his eye and distracted him as he was checking the rooms for the inhuman entity. A file. It had many pictures of people in it. He couldn't read the writing since it was in a different language, but there was one phrase he could read just a bit. The case files name. It was written in English.

…..(The Artificial Angel project?)...

— _ **CHADUN!**_

Issei heard a loud crashing noise from a neighboring room. He quickly dropped the papers onto the floor and ran to the next room. When he entered he could see two figures in the dim blue light of the large vats.

"I see...so they've sent you to destroy this operation….and leave the rest to the church?...Heh. I see. And it happened right when we were at the point of reaching a break through. I see. So it must have become a problem big enough to catch the eye of the Heavens….That surely was my folly."

Inside the room were two men. One of them was a tall, thin figure in a red suit. He had black shoes and a mask on his face. A white circulatory shaped mask with a black smile and thin happy eyes. Just a plain black laughing/happy face. He also had a red top hat on and white gloves held behind his back elegantly. In every way, he gave of an impression of some sort of magician.

He was not human.

The other black haired man was impaled through his stomach to the wall with something long and sharp. It glowed a brilliant green color within the darkness and brought light to his expression.

 _'That spear..! Could it be a Fallen Angel?!'_

The impaled man spoke through the blood leaking out of his mouth with a mad smile. Issei only then noticed the other dead bodies around him. All of them had bone crosses around their necks.

"You may have killed me…..but….my division will not fall from this….I will quickly be replaced….and if not, then the original sect will send someone to continue my work as a leader….the division here in Japan will still exist…..hehehe….do you think that the church will be able to handle it themselves?..."

"..."

The magician did not answer. The impaled man cackled.

"Kakakakakaka—! _**Cough, cough**_!...I see….well….let's hope they can find us then...hehehehe….Hahahaha..! Hahahahahahahaha!..."

The head of the impaled man dropped down. He was dead.

 ** _Crack_** …

The magician slid his body to turn slightly towards Issei, cracking the glass beneath his feet. Issei immediately put his guard up as the gauntlet spawned on his arm. The atmosphere froze.

….

The magician reached into his pocket.

 _ **Fwip!**_

"?!"

Issei suddenly caught something in front of his face at the last second. He inspected the small, familiar item in his hands. But it had an odd aura surrounding it.

 _'A playing card?..'_

 _ **Shiiin!**_

A bright light from the card blinded him. When it died down, there was something written on the back. It was in his native language of Japanese.

 _'...(If there is something you truly care for, then pray)….'_

He looked up from the card at the magician standing before him.

—He was gone.

 _'...Ddraig? What was that?'_

[A pure Angel.]

 _ **Crack**_.

Issei heard the crack of glass behind him. Marie entered the room.

"What happened?!"

"I….don't know….but, I think that guy was the leader of the Genesis division here Nagoya."

Issei pointed to the impaled man who on the floor after the glowing spear seemingly disappeared at some point.

"Did you do this?"

Issei shook his head.

"No...not me…"

Issei stared down at the card silently.

"Let's go."

Issei and Marie left the room to investigate the rest of the building. In the end, they came out to find nothing but that the files that were there previously were gone.

The building inexplicably burned down the next day.

 **Part 5**

8 months after the factory incident. 8 months after Issei and Marie's first meeting.

"Sigh. 'Hey, let's meet in the forest to train!'...is what she said, but what the fuck even? Who said I even needed to train with someone else?...Oh, and also, where the fuck is she?!"

Issei howled into the sky while standing in the clearing of a forest. He was clearly irritated by the fact that he was still waiting for Marie to show up. She was 3 hours late. He should've known better than to agree to meeting her at 6AM. He could wake up at that time, but she surely couldn't. He's never even met up with her at such an early time. She would always meet him for patrols around 9AM.

That's because she always slept in. He could easily tell that was why, even though she always denied it.

…..

"Hmph…... Well…..maybe it's better this way."

That was all Issei said. That's because he was surrounded.

 _ **Foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh foosh!**_

Out from the treeline jumped an army of priests. From one of the tree branches stood a man with black robes instead of dark green like the rest of the Genesis members up to this point. It was the same outfit that the man who was impaled by the Angel wore. He is the new leader.

"We kill him before the other one gets here. Otherwise, our integrity as a squad would be threatened. The other one has the [Excalibur Blessing]. It has the ability to transfer power to others and weaken Devils or evil existences. This is the Sekiryuutei. He can double his power and his limits are technically unknown to us. Together with the Excalibur Blessing? It is too high of a threat. We are truly beyond fortunate that they are the only forces opposing us. If we had continued with the 'Angel project', we would have surely been exterminated by Heaven."

The man gave a speech to his priests. Issei noticed that there were many more priests without bone crosses than with. Not only that, but this new "leader" had a much more composed and rational impression than the man who was impaled, who felt just like nothing but a madman.

The last detail - was that there was 50 armed swordsmen surrounding him. A majority of them being brainwash victims that Issei had to avoid killing.

 _ **JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI JI!**_

All of the priests brought out their light swords, while only a small few brought out light guns.

 _'Ah….Fuck.'_

"Kill him."

And within a moment, Issei was bombarded by a wave of cultists.

* * *

"Oh no! I overslept! I'm suuuuuper late! Gotta run, gotta run! Kyaah! He's gonna burn meeeee! I'm on my way partneeeer!"

"Sister Marie! Put on some clothing before you leave!"

"Eh? Kyaaaaaaah!"

* * *

 _ **DON!**_

A priest crashed into a tree and lie on the floor dead. He had a bone cross on his chest. Sprawled around the clearing, 11 priests were dead.

"Hahahaha….oh shit."

Issei chuckled nervously with sweat on his forehead.

 _'Ddraig~ I'm running out of people I can't kill~!'_

[Judging from our current situation, it may not be possible to spare this bunch, partner.]

'Ahahahaha. Fuck.'

 _ **ZIN ZIN!**_

Two priests slashed at Issei's head, but he ducked under. They were the last two he could kill. Issei brought his right palm and slammed it straight upwards into the priest's chin. The pressure of the slam broke the priest's jaw and snapped his neck.

 _ **Brcck!**_

He immediately aimed his gauntlet at the other priest and shot a minor Dragon Shot through his chest.

 ** _Boom!_**

3 more priest's ran to slice Issei at the same time. Issei had officially run out of targets he could kill.

 _ **ZIN ZIN ZIN!**_

Out of desperation, Issei could only jump out of the way instead of countering. But the moment he landed, two more priests came to slash at him.

"Ah, Fuck!"

He had no choice but to counter their attacks. He used his Tai Chi skills to wrap his leg around one of the priest's arms and break it in his grip, while he used his Boosted Gear to deflect the sword of the other priest and snatch it to cut off his hand.

 _ **Break! Slice!**_

He spun around and tossed them away from himself.

What Issei didn't realize was that there was another priest who was standing on a branch straight across the clearing from the leader. He was dressed in black robes covered in seals and had a special looking bow and arrow in his hands. His presence was being entirely concealed by the seals. He took out an odd looking triangular chip device and placed it against the bow string. The moment he did the chip spawned a light arrow outward.

The man was another leader. The impaled man wasn't replaced by another leader. He was replaced by two.

 _ **JIIII**_

He pulled back the bow string and readied the light arrow. He aimed it straight for the battling Issei. Straight at his head.

 _ **SPHIIN!**_

The arrow launched straight for Issei.

[!—PARTNER!]

Issei's head turned in slow motion. There was an arrow of blue light - right in front of his eye.

 _ **SPHIIN!**_

.

.

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.

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.

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.

.

 _ **Chirp~ Chirp ~**_

The sky.

The beautiful clear blue sky.

Issei hadn't realized that he was looking up at it. How beautiful it was. How peaceful it was. There were summer days that he would spend with his mother like this. His father preferred rainy days.

For some reason, the right side of Issei's world was pitch black. He didn't understand it. He lifted his hand to touch at his face.

"Ah."

— _There was an arrow pierced straight through his head._

.

.

.

.

 _ **"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"**_

Issei's body dropped to the floor as he writhed in pain. He clutched and clawed at his head like a madman. Saliva spilled out of his mouth uncontrollably and blood leaked from both sides of his head. He crawled and clawed at the ground with terrible spasms. He continued wailing in pain with all of the breath in his lungs. Every single memory began to crash and sound at the same time. Issei no longer knew where or what time he existed in.

Soon enough, he was ripped from reality altogether and sent to different times and places, with a loud terrible screech.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJJJJJJJGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

 _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCHHH!**_

* * *

"Ise~ Say aah~ Mm~ good boy~ Yummy~"

* * *

— _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHHHH!**_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH—!"

— _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHHHH!**_

* * *

"There we go! Shoes all tied! Alright, let's go son."

 _ **Pat pat!**_

* * *

— _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHHHH!**_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH—!"

— _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHHHH!**_

* * *

"Why the Hell are you holding my hand?"

"As partners, it is important that we do not lose our way on this journey! One moment of vulnerability and we may be swept away by the crowd!"

"It's not even that crowded."

"Even so! Fortune only sometimes favors those who throw caution to the wind!"

"Only sometimes?"

"Only sometimes!"

"Ah. You are just afraid of the lightning, aren't you?"

"N….. I'm sorry…."

"Haaah….. Just, don't cling to my arm."

"Roger!— _ **Ton!**_ — Kyaah!"

"Ah, you really clung to my arm the moment it fuckin' happened."

* * *

 _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHHHH!**_

…

"...Aaaaaaaah…. Ooaaaaaaahh…"

Issei was left moaning and groaning on the ground. His voice was low and raspy. The sounds he released resembled a mental patient's. It was as if he was completely senile.

[Partner! Partner, are you there!?]

"...Oaaaaaaaaaaaahhh….. Mmmmm….. Mamaaaa…... Oyaajiii…. Hungryyy…... Mamaaaa….."

[Partner! Come back! Come back to reality! You are in a forest! You are in a battle! They will kill you if you do not move! Come back!]

"...Maaamaaaaa…... Oyaajiiiiiii…. Coooold…."

[Partner! They are not here! Those people are no longer in this world! Your family! Think of your current family! Their names! Do you remember their names!?]

"...Nnaame…... Iseeseee….."

[No partner! Your family! Your uncle! Your aunt! Your cousin! Remember their names! Akane! Satoshi! Maki! Do you remember those names!?]

"...Aaa..kaaan-e?... Sa...to..shiiiiii?... M...Maki?..."

[Yes partner! Maki! Do you recall that name!?]

"...Ma..ki…. Maki…."

Issei slowly began to bring his hands near his chest.

[Yes partner! Maki! The child! She is your cousin is she not? Remember her partner! She is waiting for your return home!]

"..Ma... Maki…"

Issei's arms shook violently as they began to slowly pick him up.

"Sa...toshi…. A..kane…. Maki…."

The priests had been standing around, waiting for the moment he had stopped moving. It was a result of being inexperienced fighters.

"What are you standing around for, fools?! Finish him off!"

The priests glanced around to each other unsure. They began to ready their weapons. But before a single one of them could move, they were frozen by an oppressively dark aura.

 _ **OOOOOOOOHHMMMMMMMMMM**_ ….

A dark red aura. The color of dead blood. The smell of rotting flesh. The shape of thick smoke. Ends that reached out like tendrils to touch the priest's feet as it spread like a gas. A pulsing, dim light from the dark veil cast over Issei's form. A red pulsing. The jewel of his gauntlet.

"... **Give it back** …."

Issei's voice escaped from his body in a deep tone. He no longer sounded like a child. He no longer sounded human.

"... **Mine** …. **Give it back** …."

He slowly began to lift up his upper body fully.

"... **I want it back** …. **My** …... **eye**!..."

The gauntlet's jewel shined brightly.

 _ **SHIIIIN!**_

 **[Is that your wish, partner?]**

"... **My eye**..! **Give** — **it** — **back**!"

 **[Very well. I shall fulfill that wish. What you give to me, I shall give back to you. I will return it to you.]**

"... **GIVE**.. **IT**... **BACK!**.."

 **[Very well. Take it back, partner. There will be more that I will return to you than just that, because if I don't, you will die. That's why, I shall give you more than you bargained for. I suppose, there will now be part of you, that is no longer human. No. For now, you are no longer human. Are you?]**

At the moment, Issei cried out into the sky - and a bright light burst forth from his face and destroyed the arrow in his head.

 _ **"GIVE IT BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!"**_

 _ **SHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNN!**_

Suddenly, an announcement was made.

 _ **[Balance Break.]**_

.

.

.

.

.

.

The priests uncovered their eyes. There a was a large cloud of dust in front of them. They could see a vague silhouette of a person inside of it. On all fours against the ground.

Then, a sickening crack.

— _ **CRACK**_

Issei's back twisted inwards, in an inhuman manner.

 _ **CRACK**_ — _ **CRACK**_

More sickening noises were made. Slowly, something began to seep out from the gauntlet. A dark aura slowly wrapped around and stuck to Issei's form. The aura grew darker and darker until it began to take shape and cling to his form. It clung to the back of his arms and legs. It clung to his back. It formed over the top of his head and covered half of his face.

It resembled something from the past.

* * *

"Neh, Ddraig, what does that [Balance Breaker] look like? Does it look cool?"

[Hm. Cool? Well, I'm not sure exactly what constitutes as "cool" for someone like you, but I suppose by a conventional definition it would certainly look mesmerizing to many. It has certainly froze many of those who were in battle with my hosts. Though, that also may have been fear.]

"Is that so? Hm. I kind of have an idea of what it looks like, but I feel like it's definitely wrong."

[Mm. Well, who knows partner. It is not impossible to consider the idea that your Balance Breaker could turn out looking different than usual. Most Longinus are unique and have unique features, but considering the nature of Sacred Gears, it isn't insane to think the appearance of your Balance Breaker could be influenced by your imagination. You have made minor modifications to the Boosted Gear before. So maybe it's possible. Though, it would truly be unimaginably difficult to do. Unless, if you were to somehow end up unlocking the imperfect form of the Balance Breaker first, then that could most definitely change easily because of you. Most users unlock that first.]

"Hm. Imperfect Balance Breaker huh. I wonder what it would look like."

[What would you want it to look like?]

"...If I had to think…if it's for the purpose of facing my enemies...probably….something terrifying…."

[I would be careful with that partner. There are times when one will become an existence they truly feared. Sometimes, the most terrifying thing, ends up being oneself.]

* * *

— _ **CRACK!**_

The aura formed into what looked to be a smooth armor. The texture was smooth, but not like armor itself, rather like some skin. Skin of an animal? No. It resembled something else. Something nostalgic.

* * *

"Uuu...The beast from the East is scary Nii-Nii…"

"Ahahaha. Even now you're still scared if it huh."

"That's because—! It eats people! Isn't that, like, super scary! Even though it never shows it….I just can't help but be afraid of it, you know?..."

"Yeah...It….really is terrifying huh…"

* * *

— _ **CRACK, CRACK**_

The skin like armor cracked his parts in and out of place again and again. A dark red, skin like armor. It only covered him somewhat. Almost like a skeleton that had been placed over his form. It formed over his hands to shape claws. It formed over his legs to create clawed feet. It covered over the left half of his face like a mask and gave him a red glowing eye. A skin like armor. No. It was not like skin. It was not like armor.

—It resembled an exoskeleton.

 _ **CRACK**_

With one last sickening crack of his back, the form of Issei slowly began to lift itself up. His face was covered from the group's view thanks to the half of his mask. His head lifted up and looked towards the sky.

"... **Mama** …."

His head slowly creaked to look upon the group of priests. The other half of his face was slowly revealed.

"... **Mama**."

With a disgusting squelching sound, his right eye opened to reveal—

 _ **SGLLL**_

— _A glowing green Dragon's eye._

"I'm hungry."

— _ **ZIP!**_

"Wha-?"

Before he realized it, there was a presence behind the archer who had show the arrow and he was launched to the ground from the tree.

 _ **BAM!**_

He landed on the ground harshly. He groaned as he struggled to pick himself back up.

"Ugh.."

But, when he turned around—

 _ **CHOMP!**_

Something had latched onto his shoulder and tore a chunk of meat from it.

 _ **CCHHHR!**_

"AAAAAAAGHHH!"

He fell to the ground as he spewed blood. He gripped at his shoulder in pain. But—

"Eh?"

The last thing he saw, was the large form of a beast standing above him. And a red glowing eye.

 _ **CHOMP!**_

Within a moment of freezing, his stomach was torn open, and the disgusting sounds of chomping and tearing were made.

 _ **CCHHHHRRR!**_

"AAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH—AAAAAAGHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH—!"

 _ **CCHHHRR**_ — _ **CHRR**_ — _ **SPLAT**_ —!

Soon enough, the body of the archer went limp as the sounds continued. The priests could only take a step back in horror. There was a giant hole in his stomach. But inside of that hole, was another moving inhuman head. The noises ceased. The form of the beast froze. It went silent.

…

— _ **GULP**_

The sound of something being swallowed. The inside of the archer's stomach—was hollow

 ** _ZIN!_**

Suddenly, the priests turned around to an odd sound. One of them dropped to their knees. He was missing his head.

 _ **Thud!**_

He fell to the floor, and a form was revealed behind him. It was holding something in its hand. It lifted it above its head—and squeezed it till it crushed.

 _ **PGGLLLLL**_

Blood spilled onto the head of the beast. It was being bathed in the blood of the man. It dropped the head.

"... **Mama**."

It slowly creaked his gaze backwards—with a twisted smile.

— _ **"I'm hungry."**_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"ATTAAAACK!"

The group of priests all rushed in to attack simultaneously. But—

 _ **SLAM!**_

One of them had their head smashed into mush on the ground by a flurry of punches. The punches continued even after it was mush.

"HAAAAAAAAAH!"

One of the priests attempted to decapitate the beast, who was distracted by smashing in the man's head, by raising his sword above his head. But—

 _ **ZIN!**_

"UU!"

His belly was suddenly sliced open.

 _ **STAB!**_

Then, a hand pierced into his gut. Then another one. His body was lifted up by the two hands, held above the head of the beast. The two hands began pulling in separate directions.

 _ **CHRR!**_

Until he was ripped in half.

 _ **SPGLLLLLLL!**_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"RETREEEEEEEAT!"

The leader jumped away from the trees, in the opposite direction of the beast. The priests turned on their heels to retreat. But, the great majority of them— would never again see the light of day.

 _ **RIP**_ — _ **TEAR**_ — ** _SPURT!_**

"AAAH! AH! AAAAAAAH!"

 _ **RIP, RIP**_ — _ **TEAR!**_

"NO! PLEASE! NO! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

 _ **TEAR**_ — ** _CHOMP_** — _ **RIP!**_

"AH! M-MOTHER! MOTHEEEEEEEEEER!— AAAAGHHHGGGGHHHGUUUGGGGHHH— _ **GURGLE**_."

 _ **TEEEAAAAAAARRRR**_ — _ **CHOMP**_ — _ **RIP!**_

.

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.

— _ **GULP**_.

* * *

...

"Mama, I'm hungry~"

"Okay, okay. Dinner will be ready soon. Hold on."

"But I want it now!"

"I know, I know. Don't worry, I got your favorite today~"

"Udon?"

"No, no~ it's something you saw recently that you wanted to try~"

"!..Is it steak?!"

"Yup! I always knew you had an odd fascination with meat. And considering your father got promoted recently, I decided that we should celebrate!"

"Yaaay! Meat~ meat~ meat~ meat~ meat—

.

.

.

.

— **MEAT.**

* * *

"HHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Issei's body took in a violently sharp inhale. When he had opened his eyes, he was sitting in the middle of a clearing.

….

….

….

"...Eh?"

He looked down to his hands.

—He was resting in a pool of blood.

"AAAH!"

He began sliding back in fear. But—

 _ **Tap**_.

His body bumped into countless severed body parts.

"AAAAAH! AAAAAAAAH!"

Everywhere he looked, everywhere he turned, there was blood and guts sprawled on the floor. Arms. Legs. Heads. Entrails. Every part he could think of.

What had done this?

"Ack—! _**Choke**_ —!"

Issei suddenly coughed and choked. Something was lodged in his throat. He reached in and pulled it out of his mouth. And—

"Eh?"

— _It was a human finger._

…

…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The finger dropped to the blood puddle below. He stared at it in shock.

 _'..IT WAS….INSIDE OF ME….WHAT DID—'_

The world around Issei froze. He looked down at his hands. He was drenched in blood, as if he was just bathed in it. There was hardly even any skin on his body that was exposed to the open air. His clothes were dyed red. He couldn't remember anything that happened. And for some reason, his vision in his right eye felt beyond crystal clear.

 _ **Glorp**_ …

A low bubbling sound. Issei looked down. It was his stomach. He felt an odd sense of bloatedness inside of him. It was like he had just eaten a full course meal. Why would—

.

.

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.

The flashes of images and sounds crashed in all at once. He had suddenly realized—

— _He had eaten them alive._

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 **A̢̮̞̤͖̯̦̮̳̲̮̟͔̬͕ͪ͒̎̂̓͂͘͠A̷̝͉͔̟͉ͩͧͩ́͆̈́̄ͣ͂̍̎̀͘͞A̐ͣͭ͒ͩ͋̅ͫͬ̓̿̅̒̊͊ͩ̇̉͌͏̸̨͇͉̺͖͜Ąͯͥ͂̂͊͗̋̄́̉ͥ̂̓ͭͦ̈̒́͏̰͈̰͚̣̲̟͙̭͙͉̺̪̱͓̱͍A̠͇̤̲͔̝̙̼̩͆̆̌͛̔ͬ̓͆̋̋̔ͨ̄͝Aͭ̓̈ͨ̂͗͘҉͢҉̪̺̞̘̤͚͉Ą̈̐̎̊̀ͣͧ̉̓ͧͫͪ̿͏̹͚̩̪͕̟̹̝͍̥̱̰̰̬͚͙̣͖̀͠A̵̡͚̱̦̭͕̩̙͛̄̍̿̐̔͆̉͛͋́ͪ̏͒ͫ͒ͤ́͞A̶̷̛̙̘̝̮̓ͯͫ̋̀ͭ̊̋̊̉̌̔̇̈̐̚̕͝Ą͚͈̜̬͔͓̤̭͙͓̑ͫͨ̈͘A̶̢̛̔̿͗̏́͏̣͙̱͙̘͕̭̬̤͇̩̫͍̣Ȃ̶̛̬̩̣͖̤̝̟̝̥̥͈̙̝̪͈͕̮̺͐̔ͤͤͦ̈́̑̾̎̐ͬ̂̎͘ͅǍ̊̌ͥ̍̕͞͏͇̟͔̙̜̝̫͔̗̞͉͓̻̮̤͎͓̦̀A͖͕̪͓͈̫͕̱̹̮̗͓͖̹̩̹̲̾̇̏͗͟͜ͅA̵̸̗͎̫̖̺̹͍͉͋̋ͣ͆̏̓̿̈A̡͈̼̙̠̣̯̳͈̭̥̓̏́̽ͥͤͧ̏́̚͞Ą̏ͣͯ̔̎̊̊͌̔ͫͤ̅̔ͫͪ̂́̀̚͏͈͖̫͞ͅĄ̧̛͓̺͙̱͎̟̊̓́̀̍͗̅͆̎ͬ̃ͤ̇ͧͤ̄̚͡A̴̷̳̤̝͇̼̯͇͎̞̻͂͗͌̃ͦ̇̔̆͋̓̍͟ͅA̿̑̏ͫͪ̽̓͡͏̟͚͔̣͈͚ͅA̤̜͔̞͗͗͐ͦͫ́͠Ȧ̧̹̜͈̰͉̈ͦ̌̇ͮͧͨͬ̔ͩͥ͑ͥ̾ͨ̒͂A̷̬̱̹͈̠͎̫̖̦̭͚̳̙̙͚̼ͮ̽͊̔ͤ́͋͆͆ͥ̾͡A̵̸̡͑ͦ̿́ͬ̀҉̺̬̼̻̻A̔͒͛̍̎ͥ̽̾ͮ͆ͯ̈͂͠͏̭̮̘͎̯͙̞̻̹͎̼Â̷̡̗͚̱̖̜̫̱̖̘̪̂̍̃̊̂̕ͅĄ̶͉̩̱̥̲̣͈͈̘̥͖̦̱͚͕̬̤ͧ̐ͦ̂̎́ͥͪ͂ͥͫͫ͡͠ͅÁ̸̢̻̰͕̱̘̮̲̬̯͙͕̙͎̪̮̙͐͆̿̾ͪͦ͑ͥͣ̏̓́̂͆͐ͮ̚͝͞A̧̤̗͚͓͚̙̣̦̯͋̓ͨͪ̐ͤ̄̋͋̓̽̏̃͐͆̿A̷̶͚̱͖̲̼̪̖̣̬̺͇̮̣̯̦ͩ̓͆͞A̗̝͍͍͔̞͈̥̘̥̞͂̏̊̔̆̀̏͊̎͐͜A̧͍̪͔̱͇̮ͭ̊̄̄̍͂̒̃ͬ̄͆̌͌̉̐̓ͥA̢̐̀̀ͬ̆ͯ̎͑͘͜͠҉̳̰͚A̴̓̾̓ͮ̇ͦ͌̅ͧͦ̾҉̬̰͙̖̩̩̘͙̩̭̳̳͇͓̟̰̀Ȁ̩̱̦͛͐ͮ͋̏ͩ͛̌͂ͯ͒̋̾͒ͭ̾̀͢͜͝Ãͯͣ̎͋̉ͫͧ̋̏̈ͬ̚҉̢̛̗̲̱̭͖̼̪̗Ǎ̷̛̪̘̬͕̣͉̣̼̥̗͐͆ͭ̆ͩ̆ͦ́̽͊̅̓̒͛̍͟͟͞Aͮ̐̈ͨ̑͐̏͛̾ͦ̿̕͡͏҉̧̹̩̭͉͎͚̠̼̤A̶̰̲̹̮͚̗̯̼̟͕̞̲͒́͑̂̀̋̇͋̏͟A̴̡̡̳͔̪ͨ͗̓ͧ̓̚̕H̘̭̮̱͚̺̺͕̮̺̤̳̳ͨ͂̉͆̕͜H̵̘̩͎̪̫͙̞̳̜̱̞̞̩̲̺̘̻̞͉͒ͪͮ̄̓́̋͐̋̃͊ͨ̏͝H̢̱͙̬̦̯͔̣̦̟͖̭͓̠̀̽̒̏̿͛́̓̓͆͗ͧ̀́͞ͅH͔̹̥̜̮̯̙̳̗̬̠̹͉͍͔ͧͯ̋͐ͫ̈̂ͭ̈̃͐̂̔̿́͘H̸̟̪̭̭ͭͦ̐ͩ͑͘͡͡Ḩ̴̶͇̹̗͕̮͈̹̆͌̔̔̅̔̒̈̊̄ͫH̢̨͖̮̫͓͈̪̼ͬͧ̐͋̈́̀̕H̷̢̓ͪ̊͆̓̊̊ͩ̑͊ͥ̃ͬ̐͘͏̧͇͍̯̠̤̹̩̣̹͖̟͕͉̠̪̠ͅͅH̷̡̤̹̱̪̺̖̼̱̲͐͗͆ͬ̈́̍̑͆ͧ̾͊͑ͥͪ̚͝ͅ**

.͔

 _ **"Being eaten alive**_ — _ **"**_

.

 **H̔ͬ͑̄̓̚͏̵̟̘͍̟̱̝̗̯̩̖̫̣͍̺̗͜͡ͅͅḘ̝̭̖̤͉̯̘͎̝̹̘̺̜̣̜͈̼̠̏͆ͣ͋̄̑͛ͦ͌͆ͦ͗̾ͦͧ́̽́͢͜L̢̡̜͓̬͈̖̠̙͖̲̪͔͈̙ͧ́ͭ̀͂͒̑ͥͩ̂ͩͨ́͑̏ͭ̕͠ͅP͊͑ͭ̅̾̊ͭ́̓̃͋͆̀҉̘͙͕̰̝̬͇̟͖̖͝ͅ ̛̮͇̣̮̟͖͚̥̳̗͈͊̏͌̌̉̑̍ͩͣ̂͢͝M̶̝͇͈̘̣̝̪͉̣̳͙̐ͮ̍̉̈̈́̃̂ͮͬ̊ͣ́͘Ẻ̴͓̝͙̭̖̺̦̼̮̠̼̤̹̖̹͍̖̦̘̂ͣ̍̉͛́͢͜͞!̷̨̧̤͈̞͉̺͚̩̺̦͙̖̱̠̏̇̆̍ͧ̍ͧͪ̂̈́͗͂̾̆̓̄ͦ͘̕ͅ**

 **N̸̵͖͇̱̣̰̈́̋̏͐̏ͯ̌̉ͪ͋̔̉͑̋O̟̺̱̱̘̮̖̟̭ͯ͐̃̔̋ͭͬ͐͠O̶̡̱̭̖̼̪̗̺͔͇͙͕͈̜̯͐ͭ͊͊ͤ̓̀̈̈́ͤͫ͐͂̏̚̕͟O̊̒̇ͧͥͧ̾̓̎̇ͮ̈̀͏͍̪̲̩̩̟͓̻̟̻̹̰̙ͅͅƠ̴̗͙̺̪̩̘̬ͥ͗̈́ͫ̅̒ͥ͒͆̍̄ͧ̕O̴̢͒ͯͣͬ́͊͋ͬ̐̏ͦ̐̚҉̛̼̘̭̦͓̯̻̭͕̩͢O̸̠̦̪̥͚̐͊ͤ̀͘Ỏ̍̌ͮͧͮ̓ͥ͘͏̱̥͔̟̜̥̜͕͉͙̭̳͓̣̪͖O̸̡͕̝̙̘̝̪͉̭͚̗̫͈͖̳͙̟͔͍̓͋͒̎̄̄ͦͯ́̔̆ͫ̓̇́̈́̾O̠̲͉̘͈̤̭͕̝͐͗̉ͨ̐̈̒̅͜O̵̻͎̬̜̥̩͈̖̱̻͔͒ͬ͐̈̃̈́̑̾͞Oͣͩͯ͂̐̂͋ͥ̅̏̈́ͨ̾͏̢̢̰̗̬͕̯͍͈̠̮̼̞̺̙̗̘͖̠̪!̵̢̺͖̗̙͍͙̞̫̖̤̭͍̠͉̌̂̄̍̿͂ͧ͌́́͡ ̴͖͍͕̥̖͍̻ͮ͗̂̈͐̅ͬͣͪ̒̅̓͒ͭ͑͜͡Ǐ̶ͣͬ͊̆ͫ̉͆̕҉̷̲̖̭̟̼̺̝̻̞͕̥̣̼͇̜́ ̸͕͍͍̣͕̙͕̻͔͍̦͖̩͖̞̎̆ͩͣ̅̏̍̓̐̿͊́͝Ḑ̞͚͓̲̞͎̬̲̱̐ͪ̑̌ͯ̾ͦ̐ͮ̄͛̈́ͥ̋̾͆͡O̡̝̼̹̦͖̬̪̳̗̪̦͔͍̘ͣ̈ͦͦ͜͝͝N̴͖̮̬͍̟̙͚͕̙̯̉͒͆̒ͪͭ͌͐͐͗́ͯ̽̅́ͯ̕ͅ'̧̹̺̩̤̜̻̦̠͖̮̻̰͕̟̥͍̙͐̆ͪ͠T͙̥͖̣̼̙̞͓͕̲̰͖̼̭͔̋ͣ̅͜͢͞ ͂̔̂̊̆ͪ̀ͬ̓̆́͢͡͏͎̘͔͓̝̟̤̟͖̳̣̝̞̣͙͙W̡̺̦̱̠͙̫̝͛ͮ̎͛͊ͮͦ͑̿̏̿ͬ̃ͬ̂̀ͫ̐ͤ͜͟Ä̹̖̩̺̺͉̺͇̟̱̺̦͇͉ͨ̑̄̓̾ͧ̊͋̄͋̈͌̀̀̚͟ͅN̷̢͊̎̌͒͊̽̐̄͂ͨ̋͜͞҉̻̩͕̭͕͕̺̙̞̖̫̖̘Ṱ̳̺̹̠̯̮̼͔̩͚̳̠̪̣̘͆ͩ̽̅̏͐ͫ̾ͪ̇ͯ̅ͧ͢͠ͅ ̶̛͎̠̬͙̰̙̦̰̮̎ͤͥ̔͂͠͠Ţ͖͎̦͎̼͈̫ͩ͐͆ͪ̇̓̿͌́̚Ô̧̢͈͎̯͈͖̫͍̘͓ͤͫ̓ͤ̓̀̚͝ ̢̪͔͔͖̩̘̺̭̫̟̠͓̘͔̻̺̯͓͛̓̍̓̅̎̔̌̈́̋͒̂̇͗͛ͩͦ̀̿̕D̡ͭ͊͛ͦ̌͘͏͚̖̳͓͇͇̼̦̣͎̦I̾ͣ͊̅̊͒̃̄ͣͥ̏̉̚͏̷̸̧͍̦̼̦Ě̖̪͔͔̱͇͇͙̳͉̗̰̰̋ͭ̌ͪͥ͛̌̕͢!̡̨͖̝͕͈̖̭͔͈ͨ͆ͩ̈̆̅͐ͨ͌ͥ̀͜͢ ̥̠̜̞͉̯͚̲̻̤̱̙ͭͦͧͨͧ͑̂ͫ͑̄ͧ͂̊̌ͬ̃͘̕͘͠͞Ṕ̵̵̶̛͙͍̦̼̐̎̍̒ͯ̿̇ͥL͇̱̟̹͔̝ͭ͒̆͊̄̍̀̀͘͜E̶̷̸̢͎͇̝̻̺͕̼͇̦̘̫̦̳̞̥̞͉͔̯̎̓ͥ̅ͪ̃ͫ̐̿͋̑E̴͈̗̖͙̾͋̆̀̂ͨ̋́̆ͧͩͣ͘͘E̳̮͙͎̦͈̮̪̟̞͌̀̊ͩ̔̔̂ͨͯ͗͆̈́̒̈̅ͤ͜E̴̻̥̤̳̭̟̰͒͊̓ͮ̅̏̾̄̚̚̕ͅĖ̄͒ͬ̋͌͛͜҉̗͖͉͈̦̞͉̬̗̬A̢̍͛͌̋̒͊̋̚͢͞͏̳̥̻̟͈̺͇͍̟̖̩̟̫̝̗̫̤̮̯Ã̴ͯͧͭ̿̔ͣ̒҉͢͢͏̼͈̯͉͔̟̯̱̜̳̱̺S̸ͪ͂͊̑̈̌̃̾ͨ̀̕͟҉͓̖̬̯͚͓̙̣̘̜̠̣̺̠͖̦͎͍S̨̻͕͙̺̲̘̲̜̓͗̉̉̏ͪ͋͂̋̾ͥ̂͛̀̚͟͝E̶̢̫͉͍͖͇̣͈̜̥̯̯̋̓͂́̇͆ͫ̉͋̂̈́̎ͪ͜E̐̏̍ͦ͑ͮ̓͊̇́͝͏͏̺̲̹̞̠̭͓̣̕E̱̪̥͚̮̬̘̊̈́͋ͤ͘̕Eͪ̔̅ͮ͌̃̆͑ͥͬ̅͌҉̧̼̹͈͙̥͚̗̰͚͇̯͉̥̝̩̻͇͎́͘ͅ!̵̥̬̼̝̬̰͍̯͍̙̃̏͋̈́ͭ̇͌ͬͥͬ̃̚͜͡͡͡ ̦͇͚͈̘͇͈̮̜̝̮̺͇͎ͥ̑ͨͬ͂̐ͬ͗̀̚͜F͎̩͍̲̪̺̘̉ͮ̎ͯͭͪ̿ͪ͑̓͂ͣ̍ͤ̏̒́͘͞A̵̧̜̗̜̠̠͗̅̄̀̍̓̇̈́ͯ̉͐̌̾͟Ṭ̶̰͎̰̘͚͔̪̞̮̘̟̭̩̜ͦ͛̎ͬ͗̒ͤ̂̃ͣͣ̇ͤ̀̚H͇̥͙̙̤̼̤̱͕̘͈̞͋̎̍ͧ̓ͭͧ́ͯ͜͠Ȩ̷̛͕̮̬̪̗̗̻̱͂͌͒ͦͅȨ͙̙̜͈̔ͭ̓́͌̅̑̆ͫ͋͆͐͢Ē̷̟̯̘͙̝̠̜̣̰̻̮͔̈̓̄̅͂̈̉́̓̌̿̿̓͢E̺̥̯͔͎̜̜̜̗̝͉̹̖ͧͣͮ͂̂ͯ͛ͧ̀͝ͅḜ̔ͯ̍̒͊̐̐̐̔ͤ̚̚҉̵̰̫̻̺͓͢E̶̩͕̣̦̭̭̰͉̖̬̤ͯ͐ͩ̎̾̿̓̽͌͐͑̐̑ͨͣͮ̀ͣ͘E̢͉̺͙̮̥̹̙̫̣͓̥̼̤͖̐ͪͦ̒̄̌̃ͯͬ̑̊̀̚̕Ë̜͇̜̹͍͍̐͑̈́ͬ̽̃̋̍̈ͦ͜Ě̷̶͓̱̟̓̀ͫ͆̌̆̓̾̊͛̑̌̐̇̓ͅĘ̞͕̻͉͈͋ͫͯ̓̐̌̐̓̂͋̌ͯͥ̀͞͝Ę̨͔̫̻̪̱̳̈ͦ̾̉͛͊̉ͭͣ̔̆Ŗ̠̹͚͈̩̹̝̦̞̟ͪ͌͆̿ͭ̾̊͐͌̏͆͑ͩ̓́͡͠!̸͓̹̖̟͎͇̉̿ͦ͌̑̄̓́͊ͣ͌͟ ͆̑̉͒ͣ͂͑҉̶̶͖̝̦̳̤̘͙̙̫̟̫̹̗A̟̞̗͓̲̯̰͉͈̬ͦ̆̿̌ͣ̒̌ͫ̃̒̑͟͢͝͝Ȁ̷̸̷̯̥̺͈͍͕̫̭̪̙̜̺͍̳̙̺̤͓̬ͭ͐ͫ̎ͧͬ͋ͧ̚Ḁ̶̟̪̬̭͙̹͙̱̓͗͊̍̇̍ͣ̄̂ͩ́A̾̎̎̔̐͏̷̨̞͕͓͕͈͖̠̤̳̯̦͇̲̜̩́͟A̸̴̯̠̥͇̠̲̘͆͂͒ͬ̐̃ͬ͠ͅÀ̴̶̸͈͈̼̳̞̻̀ͪ̽̔ͤ̕A̰̣̰̱̘̺̗̹̺̲̭̘͈̟̣̙̱̭͊ͧ͛͊ͨ̋̀͟A̴̵̒͊͐̓͂̀̏ͣͨ̌̓͋̚̚͞҉̠̞͔̖͙̫̹͔ͅĄ̢̬̪͕̣̮̤͛͌̅̑̽͆̿ͮͤͯ͑́̚͘͢ͅA̘̰̘̗̱̮̲̪͚͑̃ͥ̊͛̉ͧ͋̇͛ͨ͂ͬͭ̆ͮ̿͗͡A̍ͮͯ̆ͥ̂͋̊̄̐ͫ͏̴̶̵̮͎̖͍̮̪͘H̽ͧ̆̐̐͐҉͎̤̮̜̪͈̖̤͜͟͞H̸̡̨͔̞̹̬̟̳̪͓̣̺̭̝̝̪̰̩͕ͣ̅͌ͧ͂͘͢H̴̸̵̡͖͔̤͙̣̪͓͓͈̥͍͎̱͈̜͇̹̋̌̇̃ͬͬ̒̂ͤ̉ͤ͂͂̊̐ͥ̓̌H̡̘̥̱̻͔̠̩̲̦̼͔̩̮̱̮͚ͩ͑̉̓̋̏͐͆͌ͣͪͣ̆̊̀̑̎̀̀͢!̴̡̀͑̊ͩͤͦ͂ͦ̐̅͆͛ͤ̈͊ͦͭ͜͢҉̤̗͕̗̫̫ͅ ̡̪̯͇̈́̾̾̋̆̆̆̊ͦͫ̃͋͜F̧̍ͨ͑̿ͬ͒͑ͬ̇͆̑͊͋͟͞͏͔̭̘̗̰̣͎O͍̜̭̩͌̾̿͆͆̉ͨ̋ͣ̐̽̐ͣ͆̅ͮ̃̏ͬ̀ͅŔ̴̡̗̜̭͎̫̙̜͔͔̟͈͎̺̔̅̒ͥ̒̓̐̓͛ͮͅͅG͗ͤ̉ͣͤͫ̏̋̿ͯ̋ͣ͗͏̸͇̪̥͕̕͢I̢̢ͤ̓̑̀̅ͮ̍̆̅̒̆̇̓̽̄͛͟͏̳̱̹͖̪͍̱̺͙̰̙V̛̤͇͙̩̤͔͕̭̣͉̭̞͍͙̣̰̽̈́ͪͤ̏̿ͨ̂̓ͦ̊̐̿̅ͮ̀̀͢͝E͛ͫ̌̉̿̄̅ͯͧ̆ͨ̽ͯ̉̍̂̆ͯ͏̡̲̪͔͡͝ ̸̖̖͇̦͙͖̖̬̌̋̀̈́̈ͬͣ̆͡͡ͅM̍͆̈́ͭ͌̎͒ͪ̋̉̓̊̅̏ͬͤ́͏̵̛͇̪͍̘̼̣̬̼̯̹̬̘̪̫̩E̢͖͇̳̬̦̫̱͇ͩ̉̽͌ͮ͂ͭ̀̈́̔ͧͭͯ̈̉̏̀͠Ē̵̛̳͇̱͍̠̱͖ͯͨ͒̋ͯ̍͛̈́ͅE̢̧͇̰͓̥͕̰̪̩̮ͯ͐̇̏ͭͪ͌͂ͫͧ̀̏ͪ͟͡E̴̵̠͈̗̤̹̜̥͖͈̹͙͈̜͙͍̱̖̾ͩͬ͑ͫ̒̊̎͝ͅE̷̡͍͉̝̠̦̩͙̣͚͆ͨ͒͌͊̒Ě̵̢̨͈͚͕͇͚̗͕̖͙̑͊̌̀̕E̶̶̘̣̘̰͈͓͉̺̖̎̓̑̔ͯͥͩ̿̂ͯͬ͂ͦ̆ͫͤ͛̎͘͞ͅE͍͈͖̘̺͓̳͇͎͖̦̤̙̗̣̲̻̒̒ͧ̑̀͟E̷̖̤̬̞̱̤̳̙̻̫̼̠̞͍͖̳ͩ̅̂̈̽͘ͅ**

.

.

 _ **"...Really is the worst death."**_

 **!-[?!]-!**

" _ **BLAAAARGHHHH!**_ "

Issei relentlessly vomited everything in his stomach, straight onto the ground.

" _ **BLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH—MLOOAAAAAGHHHH!**_ "

There was nothing left in his stomach, yet he still continued trying to vomit. The feeling of their parts splashing in the liquids of his stomach. The feeling of hands and fingers clutching at his throat as if trying to escape. As if they were still alive. He could feel them inside. Even though they weren't in him, he could feel them moving inside. Crawling. Pulling. And screaming.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! AHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Issei could only howl into the sky. Somehow, he hoped someone would hear him.

* * *

"I'm late, I'm late! Oooooooo! I hope he doesn't hit me! Ah, well, we are going to train... But that doesn't mean I want to be hit! Or at least I hope he doesn't make it hurt too bad. Uuuuuuu! I'm soorrryyyyy~!"

Marie jumped out of the treeline and into the clearing of a forest. But the world went completely silent as she stood frozen in place.

…..

Issei was sitting against a tree with his head hanging loosely down, as if he were dead. In front of him—was a giant pool of blood with severed human bodies.

….

….

….

….

( _ISSEI!_ )

Marie bolted towards the form of the boy as she called out to him. But no voice escaped from her cords. She could only mouth the words. Or at the very least, neither of them could interpret the sound she was making. It was the first time she had properly said his name.

( _ISSEI! ISSEI!_ )

She shook the body of the boy. He did not move. His eyes were hollow and empty with dried tears under them. His body was loose. There was no life in his form. He merely stared blankly into the hands that sat in lap.

…..

 _("Nii-Nii! Your hands are big!")_

 _("Hahahaha. Well, that's because I'm a guy, of course.")_

 _("Mm! I like holding them. They make me feel safe!")_

 _("Hahaha. Is that so? Well, how nice.")_

…..

That was the day— Issei lost his humanity.

 **End**

* * *

 **Welp. Looks like you guys are getting a double feature too. Yep. That's right. Even though I just uploaded this long ass chapter (for this story), I am going to start writing the next chapter right after. It just feels like it needs to be done. It's chapter 10, we have to reach our conclusion. In other words, chapter 10 will be the end of Issei's first journey. The end of the prologue. Chapter 11?**

 **Cannon.**

 **Anyway, that was dark. As in pitch black dark. Well, I did always say that this was my darkest story. I'm not pulling any punches with this one. I'm afraid that there is something that must be understood about this world's Issei that will be solidified next chapter. This Issei, is the one represented by "The Tower". A tumultuous disaster. Or is it a denial of growth? We don't know yet. We don't know if his card is flipped right side up, or upside down. But for now, there is one thing we know.**

 **This Issei—is the one who suffers.**

 **And his suffering doesn't end here. It - may never end.**

 **So yeah. Next chapter will be the end of the prologue. After that, we will finally reach cannon. We will see how Issei handles the world of DxD. But, next chapter, we'll see what the consequences to his actions will be.**

 **Tell me what you guys thought. Quickly before I upload the next chapter, which will be shorter by the way.**

 **Did you enjoy Marie as a character? Did you like the development of her and Issei's relationship as partners? And friends? Who was the magician Angel and why was he there? What did his message mean? The imperfect Balance Breaker was unleashed, but why did it cause a berserker? Do you finally understand what the worst death is?**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**

 **[P.S. Issei's imperfect Balance Breaker was a bit inspired by Ken Kaneki's half Kakuja form from the original Tokyo Kushuu]**


	10. Chapter 10: The Boy Who Suffers

**Okay, here you are guys. The second part. The final part of the prologue. After this, cannon will begin. But now, we have Issei's last months before the true timeline.**

 **We'll see how Issei will adapt to the new world.**

 **For those of you who may not have really understood the narrative purpose of the last chapter's events (which is not many of you thank god), I'll give you a little TL;DGet-it. This story always had the minor theme of '** _ **eating**_ ' **in it. But more than that, it has a major theme of '** _ **parallels**_ ' **in it. Looking in the mirror and seeing something you have seen before, something you don't want. The event of Issei committing cannibalism was always hinted at. Because the minor theme of '** _ **eating**_ ' **was always present. From the beginning of the story this was the only event** _ **I knew**_ **was going to take place 110%. The most terrifying thing Issei could ever imagine was being eaten alive. Why is that? Well, what was it in the past that made him believe that?...It was always hinted that something like this would happen. Because the major theme of '** _ **parallel**_ ' **demands that there is something to be hated and feared, and at a moment's notice, you will** _ **become**_ **that thing yourself. Issei - is the unfortunate victim.**

 **Ah, also, I don't know if you've noticed it but you should take another look at the poster image for this story. In that image,** _ **Issei is covering his right eye with his Boosted Gear**_ **. If you know me, you know that** _ **everything**_ **I do has a reason. That's why I tell you to read the titles of the chapters.**

 **Prepare yourselves. These last two chapters of the prologue are possibly the heaviest ones of this story. Again, get your best playlist of music for this. You'll need it.**

* * *

 _ **The one who smiles.**_

* * *

 **-SCENE-**

…

…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH—!"

 _ **SPLASH!**_

A loud splashing sound silenced the scream of a person. The splashing of water? No. It was too heavy. It was a splash into something heavy and dark. A thicker liquid.

Suddenly, something splashed its head out of the giant pool.

"PAH-HAAAAAAAAH!"

Issei brought in a sharp inhale of air. He was just under some sort of liquid. It was thick, heavy, and had a familiar smell. A terrible stench. He looked around.

—He was in a giant pool of blood.

(—!?)

Issei clutched at his mouth to prevent himself from vomiting. He was standing naked in a giant pool of blood that went up to his abdomen. He was stuck in a well? No, it looked more like a cave or cavern. The only entrance to the place was the hole above. There was something like a long pipe or something similarly shaped that led down to the place. It really did resemble the entrance of a well. He couldn't see up it because it was pitch black.

What he didn't understand was why it was all red. The blood was red and that was obvious, but why would the walls be red? The entire cave like place was wide and had red walls that went around him in a circular manner. What was this place?

….

Was it Hell?

 _ **SPLASH!**_

Something splashed in from behind Issei. He slowly turned his body to it. Something bubbled out from the red liquid.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

—A human head.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

And without warning, Issei had heard a blood curdling scream. But it wasn't his. It was the voice of another man. After that, a splash. Issei looked up.

There were countless human pieces falling in from the entrance above his head.

Issei finally realized where he was.

— _He was in the belly of a beast._

 _ **SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH!**_

The last thing he heard, was what sounded like thousands of screams.

.

.

 _ **A̵̢̧̨͎͉̫̝̖͚̳̻̯͕̿̽̇̿̓̈́̏̑̚͘À̷̵̢̧̟͓̤̠͕̹̀̌ͩ͗ͭ͂̌̑͂̆̈ͮ͐͒̍͞Ā̵̟͙̣̠̱̦͎̝͎̟̥͚̯̽̆́̎́͜͞ͅȂ̷̟̜͍̱̭͙̤͈̲̗̦͈ͣ͂̓͘A̴̢̜̤̲͍̜ͥͫ̉͆ͤ͌ͩ̌̄̆̍̈̆ͨͭ̐̒̂̀͠͠Aͤ́ͥ̏̔͏̵̨̨̮͖̠͇͉̝̟̤͖̟̯̺͎̲̘͇ͅĄ̷̷ͣ̋̅ͭ̊ͤͩ͊ͧ͐̈́͆̀҉̥̖̜ͅẢ̢͇͕̤̩̘̖̟̖̻̈́̈̀͒̓̃̆ͯͭ͐̽ͤͩͮA̶̭̞̠̟̤̣̥̱͓̙̱̞̔̈͐͊̋̇̓̀A̠̖̺͚̱̰̗̮̥̗̮̺̭̠͚͖̣̠͛̿ͬ͆ͯ͑̇̅̄ͦͣ̅͜͞͠Ã̷͚͎͓̣̳͔ͭͬ͑̔̿̉͒͑ͬ̂ͭ͐Ā̴͔̳͍͓̤͇̪̮͆̀̀̅ͦ̀̎̾͘͝A̵̢̺̳̹̹̥͇̪͉̯̦͉̳͍̼̠̙̫ͦ̀̍̈̏͐ͧͯ̏ͬͬͫ̓ͭͮA̷̡̧̯̠̣̗̪̙̝̞̲̠ͪ͂̿̿ͩ̾̂̐̇̃͆̍͌̃A̶̱̭̤̘͗̊̐̀̇ͦ́Ă̶̫͚̗͉̬̗̱̦̮̪ͧͦ͂ͪͣ̔͊̄ͯ͆͆͗ͣͣ̈́̀͡͝A̡̯̱͉̮̫̙͓ͥ̉ͯ̊̃͌͊ͬ̑̈́ͬͨ̎̏͐ͣ̾̕͢Ā̸̮̲̠̥͓̦̫̼̦͉͎̥̻͈̎̄ͮ̆̋̔͆ͯͬ̿̇ͫ̉̎͒̚ͅĄ̡͈̗̪̯̝̘͍͙̝͉̰̗̘̰͊̔̐͋͂ͧ̌̓ͣͧ͌ͯ̅͌̏́Ȧ̲̬̲͈͖̞̼͉̳̳̭͇͔̖̟͎͔̣͚̈́̀ͥͬ̆̈ͣ̇ͤ̎ͧ̕A̶̶̸̢͖͓̳̤̻͔̪͓̘̜̻̘̻̰̼̤̻̣̫̒̏ͩ̍͆̎͐̌̇̎̆́͆̏́A̸̘͍̥̤̳̗̲̜̥͙̪̳̫̺̼̙͓͇ͥ͑̐̃͆ͬ̈ͨͬ͘͜͝͡Aͣ̍͋͂͛͊͂̈̂̓̒̾҉̖̭̼̯͇̬̙̠͇̫̝̼̭̜̱͎͔͉̥Ā̊͋͒̌͏͍̮͉͔̕͝A̸̶̛̺̙̟̩͉̞̣͔͓͂̋͗̋ͤ̆͋̿͒ͪ̅̈͞Ȧ̸̡̧̛̺̥͎̖̠̰̘̜̘̹̫̬̙̒̿̍ͧ͊̃̌̿͋̅̚Å͑́͗͒͒̐̿̄̊̊ͬ͑̀́̚̚͏̣̩̳̫̖̞̹̮͖̹̞ͅA̸̴̽̔̈̈́̓̏͑͆̋̇͌͟҉̠̞͓̺͖̤͎ͅĄ͍̠̭͉̝̇̿̐ͭͪͥͭͮ̋ͥͨ́̕A̧̟̦̰͍̪̥̜̜͍ͭ̑ͦ̀̏̓̆̌͑͆̅͑ͤ͊̿͗A̸̤̥̝͗͗ͧ͋͌ͤ̑͘͜ͅAͣ̉̅̇ͭ̄́ͥ̈́̑̀̌͑ͬ̔̔͊̽͏̺̩̲̰̤͚̞̻͉̻Ẳ̸̸͇̱͕̜̱͓̖̩̻̺̉ͥͮͫͥͧ̈́̾A̷̡̛̲̯̞̠͎̞ͫ̆̈́ͭ̓̀ͅÃ͋͑ͥ̀̒̏ͥͪ͂ͣͭ̂̎̚҉̧̥͖͚̝͚̣̺͟Ḁ̵̴̧̙̟͔̖͖̺͔̩̗̺̱̦̻̮̃̊̈̃́̉ͤ̚̕͢ͅA̷̞̙͎̰͔̤͙ͬ̊̃̾͊͒͂ͬ̾ͣ̏̿̐̆͂̑̚͞A̶̢̢̜͉̦͇̣͆ͯ̚ͅȦ͛̿̇̍̏͊ͦ̑̈ͤ͏̡̱̳͖̱̙̗̘͇̞̪̺͓̕͜͡A̸̢̯̩̪͚͚̮͖͓͈̺͈̪̘ͫ͐̐̇͛ͭ́͜͜ͅA̶̺͈͔̘͎̝̺ͦ̍̑̍́̚͡A̷̫̲͎̮̮̝̪͍͎̲̹̟̩͉͔̬̮͇̓̔̈̽ͦ̕͝͞͡ͅA̾̈́̓ͥ͟͏̻͕̙̠̪̯̯͙̞̲͇̀Ȃ̈ͣ̉̈́̑̍̄̎̌ͨ͏̧̬͍͉̯̕ͅÄ̸̭̳͚̙͍̘̲͔͍́̅̅̔̽̈́ͭ̅ͫ̃͌ͦ̍̿̀͟͢A̴̷̭̱̦͓̲̞̟̣̰͂ͩͤ̄̈͗̎̚A̿̐ͬ̿ͬͣ͆̾̃̊̀̄̉̉̆̄̚̚͏̭͓̹̟̲̗͢Ȁ̸̧̻̜̲͓͔̘̼̦̫̺̘̼͕̖͔̒̑̑̈́̅̇̌̎̀͜͟Ã̴̵̢̪͓̺̫̜̮͖͑̅́͒ͬͪ̆͋ͭ͌͑̄̈́̉̇ͪ͟A̛̝̮̝̭̖̪̦͔̣̻̬̙̠ͭ͌̓̑̊̊ͤͮͬ̿̏ͥ̕Aͯ̋̓̊̽҉̰̠̝͍̩͢ͅÄ̷́͛̒̃͛́̆̍͏̛̥͖̤̹͓̺̭̗̫͓̩̗̜̻̝̰͇̗̤A̸̢̒̽ͣͫ͆͛̄͋̽ͦͦ͂͟͝҉͇̜̣̦̯͈̙̞̣̖Ã̷̴̴̷̱̞͍̫̮̼̟͖̦͕̙̯̘͔̮̙̭̟͋̑̍̋̈͛̄͂ͫ̑ͯ̊A̵̠͖͔̦̙̒̊̈̚̕ͅA̵̶͙̲͖͓̝̣̳̼͑ͣ̒̔ͥ͋ͨA̛͈̰̹̭̫̠ͦ̋̆͌ͪ̌̎̇̅̊̕͜͞͞ͅA͉̝͙̰̭̰̤̱͉̥͔̜ͥ̐͐ͧ̀̒̆̈́͋͛̋ͫ̅̆̊͌̋́ͯ̕͜͠͞A̙̮̬̝ͥ̓̓ͨ̃͒̎̀A̴̶̷̺̙̝͕̺̽̿̇͂ͧ̏̿̅̽ͪ̊͛͆͋ͫͮ̔̔A̸̤͕͚̦̞̥̟̯̟ͩ͑ͣ̌ͣ̉͋͌̂ͨ̍͌̈̀̋ͫ̽͑̀̚͢ͅAͬͨ̓̓̀́͘͠͏͕̖̖̫̙̮̼̼̙͔̫͎̣͖̭̳Ã̧̽̊̀҉̠̳̠̟̼͍̯̣̠̦͎̮̜̪̥̝͟A̵̸̡͖͉͔̮̼͖ͫ͛̂̀ͧ̈́ͫͭ̂͠͝Ả͂͋́̀̽͊ͨ̍̒̊͝͏̸̘͙͎̹͙A̓͐̉̅͋͛́ͮͣ̔̑̿ͤ̏̒҉̹͎̼̤̼͔̘̫̼͕̞͟͝͞Ȃ̷̶̖̫̦͇̦͚̞̞̱̮͍̞ͩ̐̐̒ͫ͂͆ͬͅA̾ͪͪ̐͑͋̂ͩ͌͊̈́̈́̏́͏̴̢̩̣̞͇̱̙̲̱̲̗͕̭̜̼̀ͅA̷̧̜͈̰̝̮͉̳͓͖͓̮̗͗̎͊͆̒̌̑̈́͗̾̑ͨ̋̕͝Ą̸̆ͮͯͧ̋ͮͤ̇ͧ͌ͮͭ̐̇̅̿͑͘͜҉̭̱͖̪̤̜̣̯̘A͙͎̯̯̺̥̫̠̼̙̼̦͎ͤ͋ͬ͗ͨ͛̎́̓ͥ̀ͥ̎̑͛́̓̀͜ͅA̶̵̹͖̳̹̟̙̝̺̙̜̺͇͓̙͍̲̼̲̅͑̎͛͛ͭ̄͐ͨ̋ͯ̓Ḩ̷̸̠̹̻͈̙̥̖̖̹̫̻͙͉̫͒̌̔̔̐͆̈ͭḨ̴̵̛̼̮̠̙͓͍̐̈ͧͫ͑͞H̰̫͍͚͇̞̫̙͚̤̬̟͓͓͎͂̄͌ͫ̍ͮͪ͊͋̍̊̍ͬ̈̀̚̕͜Ḣ̴̩͎̩̰̟͉̺͔̻̦̱̠̲̟̙͇͓͔̋͐̐ͤͩ͂͛̌͐ͣ̑ͪ̎ͨ̀͢H̵͌̊̒ͯ͑̅̍͆ͫ͏̶͈͎̪̣̣̤͙̮͝͡H̶͎̞̬̲͉̤̼͚̰̾͒ͬ͒ͩ̀̕͜͢Ĥ͑̓́̇͛̑̚͢͏̷̝̣͚̣͍̱͕͇͔̝̹͠H̸̥̜̖̱̣̔̄͗ͥ̈́ͦ̇͛͛͂͐ͭ̔ͫ̂̄̀͟H̴̺͕͈͍͍̥̤̯̞͍̜̯͇̹̣͚͖ͨ̀̿̾̈̀̕͡Hͣ̿̇̅ͭ̿ͥ́̊̅̿ͦ̉̀͋̏̌̇̓҉͏̶̙̝͍̻̯̬͕͓̫̲̰̰̟͎̦̕H͌͒͆ͮͪͭ̄͋ͤͯͦͥͧ̄͂ͭ͋͟͜͏̰͓̬͎͖͇̣̜̦͙͇̹̬̜̯͕H̶̶̶̝̹̫̦̺̱̟͕̭̮̰̥̦͓́͌̓͛͗͂ͭ͌̏̇̈́͟͞H̨̰̱̦̠͎̣͎͓̄ͦ̎͌͝ͅH̤̣̬̙ͨͮ̔̅̌̊̔ͦ̀͞H͌͊̈́́̍͆̾ͭ̑ͦ̊̏͂͛ͨͦͮ͒̀͠҉̱̺͍̫̣̜̫̪̰͓̝A̵̢̧̨͎͉̫̝̖͚̳̻̯͕̿̽̇̿̓̈́̏̑̚͘À̷̵̢̧̟͓̤̠͕̹̀̌ͩ͗ͭ͂̌̑͂̆̈ͮ͐͒̍͞Ā̵̟͙̣̠̱̦͎̝͎̟̥͚̯̽̆́̎́͜͞ͅȂ̷̟̜͍̱̭͙̤͈̲̗̦͈ͣ͂̓͘A̴̢̜̤̲͍̜ͥͫ̉͆ͤ͌ͩ̌̄̆̍̈̆ͨͭ̐̒̂̀͠͠Aͤ́ͥ̏̔͏̵̨̨̮͖̠͇͉̝̟̤͖̟̯̺͎̲̘͇ͅĄ̷̷ͣ̋̅ͭ̊ͤͩ͊ͧ͐̈́͆̀҉̥̖̜ͅẢ̢͇͕̤̩̘̖̟̖̻̈́̈̀͒̓̃̆ͯͭ͐̽ͤͩͮA̶̭̞̠̟̤̣̥̱͓̙̱̞̔̈͐͊̋̇̓̀A̠̖̺͚̱̰̗̮̥̗̮̺̭̠͚͖̣̠͛̿ͬ͆ͯ͑̇̅̄ͦͣ̅͜͞͠Ã̷͚͎͓̣̳͔ͭͬ͑̔̿̉͒͑ͬ̂ͭ͐Ā̴͔̳͍͓̤͇̪̮͆̀̀̅ͦ̀̎̾͘͝A̵̢̺̳̹̹̥͇̪͉̯̦͉̳͍̼̠̙̫ͦ̀̍̈̏͐ͧͯ̏ͬͬͫ̓ͭͮA̷̡̧̯̠̣̗̪̙̝̞̲̠ͪ͂̿̿ͩ̾̂̐̇̃͆̍͌̃A̶̱̭̤̘͗̊̐̀̇ͦ́Ă̶̫͚̗͉̬̗̱̦̮̪ͧͦ͂ͪͣ̔͊̄ͯ͆͆͗ͣͣ̈́̀͡͝A̡̯̱͉̮̫̙͓ͥ̉ͯ̊̃͌͊ͬ̑̈́ͬͨ̎̏͐ͣ̾̕͢Ā̸̮̲̠̥͓̦̫̼̦͉͎̥̻͈̎̄ͮ̆̋̔͆ͯͬ̿̇ͫ̉̎͒̚ͅĄ̡͈̗̪̯̝̘͍͙̝͉̰̗̘̰͊̔̐͋͂ͧ̌̓ͣͧ͌ͯ̅͌̏́Ȧ̲̬̲͈͖̞̼͉̳̳̭͇͔̖̟͎͔̣͚̈́̀ͥͬ̆̈ͣ̇ͤ̎ͧ̕A̶̶̸̢͖͓̳̤̻͔̪͓̘̜̻̘̻̰̼̤̻̣̫̒̏ͩ̍͆̎͐̌̇̎̆́͆̏́A̸̘͍̥̤̳̗̲̜̥͙̪̳̫̺̼̙͓͇ͥ͑̐̃͆ͬ̈ͨͬ͘͜͝͡Aͣ̍͋͂͛͊͂̈̂̓̒̾҉̖̭̼̯͇̬̙̠͇̫̝̼̭̜̱͎͔͉̥Ā̊͋͒̌͏͍̮͉͔̕͝A̸̶̛̺̙̟̩͉̞̣͔͓͂̋͗̋ͤ̆͋̿͒ͪ̅̈͞Ȧ̸̡̧̛̺̥͎̖̠̰̘̜̘̹̫̬̙̒̿̍ͧ͊̃̌̿͋̅̚Å͑́͗͒͒̐̿̄̊̊ͬ͑̀́̚̚͏̣̩̳̫̖̞̹̮͖̹̞ͅA̸̴̽̔̈̈́̓̏͑͆̋̇͌͟҉̠̞͓̺͖̤͎ͅĄ͍̠̭͉̝̇̿̐ͭͪͥͭͮ̋ͥͨ́̕A̧̟̦̰͍̪̥̜̜͍ͭ̑ͦ̀̏̓̆̌͑͆̅͑ͤ͊̿͗A̸̤̥̝͗͗ͧ͋͌ͤ̑͘͜ͅAͣ̉̅̇ͭ̄́ͥ̈́̑̀̌͑ͬ̔̔͊̽͏̺̩̲̰̤͚̞̻͉̻Ẳ̸̸͇̱͕̜̱͓̖̩̻̺̉ͥͮͫͥͧ̈́̾A̷̡̛̲̯̞̠͎̞ͫ̆̈́ͭ̓̀ͅÃ͋͑ͥ̀̒̏ͥͪ͂ͣͭ̂̎̚҉̧̥͖͚̝͚̣̺͟Ḁ̵̴̧̙̟͔̖͖̺͔̩̗̺̱̦̻̮̃̊̈̃́̉ͤ̚̕͢ͅA̷̞̙͎̰͔̤͙ͬ̊̃̾͊͒͂ͬ̾ͣ̏̿̐̆͂̑̚͞A̶̢̢̜͉̦͇̣͆ͯ̚ͅȦ͛̿̇̍̏͊ͦ̑̈ͤ͏̡̱̳͖̱̙̗̘͇̞̪̺͓̕͜͡A̸̢̯̩̪͚͚̮͖͓͈̺͈̪̘ͫ͐̐̇͛ͭ́͜͜ͅA̶̺͈͔̘͎̝̺ͦ̍̑̍́̚͡A̷̫̲͎̮̮̝̪͍͎̲̹̟̩͉͔̬̮͇̓̔̈̽ͦ̕͝͞͡ͅA̾̈́̓ͥ͟͏̻͕̙̠̪̯̯͙̞̲͇̀Ȃ̈ͣ̉̈́̑̍̄̎̌ͨ͏̧̬͍͉̯̕ͅÄ̸̭̳͚̙͍̘̲͔͍́̅̅̔̽̈́ͭ̅ͫ̃͌ͦ̍̿̀͟͢A̴̷̭̱̦͓̲̞̟̣̰͂ͩͤ̄̈͗̎̚A̿̐ͬ̿ͬͣ͆̾̃̊̀̄̉̉̆̄̚̚͏̭͓̹̟̲̗͢Ȁ̸̧̻̜̲͓͔̘̼̦̫̺̘̼͕̖͔̒̑̑̈́̅̇̌̎̀͜͟Ã̴̵̢̪͓̺̫̜̮͖͑̅́͒ͬͪ̆͋ͭ͌͑̄̈́̉̇ͪ͟A̛̝̮̝̭̖̪̦͔̣̻̬̙̠ͭ͌̓̑̊̊ͤͮͬ̿̏ͥ̕Aͯ̋̓̊̽҉̰̠̝͍̩͢ͅÄ̷́͛̒̃͛́̆̍͏̛̥͖̤̹͓̺̭̗̫͓̩̗̜̻̝̰͇̗̤A̸̢̒̽ͣͫ͆͛̄͋̽ͦͦ͂͟͝҉͇̜̣̦̯͈̙̞̣̖Ã̷̴̴̷̱̞͍̫̮̼̟͖̦͕̙̯̘͔̮̙̭̟͋̑̍̋̈͛̄͂ͫ̑ͯ̊A̵̠͖͔̦̙̒̊̈̚̕ͅA̵̶͙̲͖͓̝̣̳̼͑ͣ̒̔ͥ͋ͨA̛͈̰̹̭̫̠ͦ̋̆͌ͪ̌̎̇̅̊̕͜͞͞ͅA͉̝͙̰̭̰̤̱͉̥͔̜ͥ̐͐ͧ̀̒̆̈́͋͛̋ͫ̅̆̊͌̋́ͯ̕͜͠͞A̙̮̬̝ͥ̓̓ͨ̃͒̎̀A̴̶̷̺̙̝͕̺̽̿̇͂ͧ̏̿̅̽ͪ̊͛͆͋ͫͮ̔̔A̸̤͕͚̦̞̥̟̯̟ͩ͑ͣ̌ͣ̉͋͌̂ͨ̍͌̈̀̋ͫ̽͑̀̚͢ͅAͬͨ̓̓̀́͘͠͏͕̖̖̫̙̮̼̼̙͔̫͎̣͖̭̳Ã̧̽̊̀҉̠̳̠̟̼͍̯̣̠̦͎̮̜̪̥̝͟A̵̸̡͖͉͔̮̼͖ͫ͛̂̀ͧ̈́ͫͭ̂͠͝Ả͂͋́̀̽͊ͨ̍̒̊͝͏̸̘͙͎̹͙A̓͐̉̅͋͛́ͮͣ̔̑̿ͤ̏̒҉̹͎̼̤̼͔̘̫̼͕̞͟͝͞Ȃ̷̶̖̫̦͇̦͚̞̞̱̮͍̞ͩ̐̐̒ͫ͂͆ͬͅA̾ͪͪ̐͑͋̂ͩ͌͊̈́̈́̏́͏̴̢̩̣̞͇̱̙̲̱̲̗͕̭̜̼̀ͅA̷̧̜͈̰̝̮͉̳͓͖͓̮̗͗̎͊͆̒̌̑̈́͗̾̑ͨ̋̕͝Ą̸̆ͮͯͧ̋ͮͤ̇ͧ͌ͮͭ̐̇̅̿͑͘͜҉̭̱͖̪̤̜̣̯̘A͙͎̯̯̺̥̫̠̼̙̼̦͎ͤ͋ͬ͗ͨ͛̎́̓ͥ̀ͥ̎̑͛́̓̀͜ͅA̶̵̹͖̳̹̟̙̝̺̙̜̺͇͓̙͍̲̼̲̅͑̎͛͛ͭ̄͐ͨ̋ͯ̓Ḩ̷̸̠̹̻͈̙̥̖̖̹̫̻͙͉̫͒̌̔̔̐͆̈ͭḨ̴̵̛̼̮̠̙͓͍̐̈ͧͫ͑͞H̰̫͍͚͇̞̫̙͚̤̬̟͓͓͎͂̄͌ͫ̍ͮͪ͊͋̍̊̍ͬ̈̀̚̕͜Ḣ̴̩͎̩̰̟͉̺͔̻̦̱̠̲̟̙͇͓͔̋͐̐ͤͩ͂͛̌͐ͣ̑ͪ̎ͨ̀͢H̵͌̊̒ͯ͑̅̍͆ͫ͏̶͈͎̪̣̣̤͙̮͝͡H̶͎̞̬̲͉̤̼͚̰̾͒ͬ͒ͩ̀̕͜͢Ĥ͑̓́̇͛̑̚͢͏̷̝̣͚̣͍̱͕͇͔̝̹͠H̸̥̜̖̱̣̔̄͗ͥ̈́ͦ̇͛͛͂͐ͭ̔ͫ̂̄̀͟H̴̺͕͈͍͍̥̤̯̞͍̜̯͇̹̣͚͖ͨ̀̿̾̈̀̕͡Hͣ̿̇̅ͭ̿ͥ́̊̅̿ͦ̉̀͋̏̌̇̓҉͏̶̙̝͍̻̯̬͕͓̫̲̰̰̟͎̦̕H͌͒͆ͮͪͭ̄͋ͤͯͦͥͧ̄͂ͭ͋͟͜͏̰͓̬͎͖͇̣̜̦͙͇̹̬̜̯͕H̶̶̶̝̹̫̦̺̱̟͕̭̮̰̥̦͓́͌̓͛͗͂ͭ͌̏̇̈́͟͞H̨̰̱̦̠͎̣͎͓̄ͦ̎͌͝ͅH̤̣̬̙ͨͮ̔̅̌̊̔ͦ̀͞H͌͊̈́́̍͆̾ͭ̑ͦ̊̏͂͛ͨͦͮ͒̀͠҉̱̺͍̫̣̜̫̪̰͓̝̮͎̮**_

.

.

* * *

…. _ **Shiver!**_ ….

"Mm... Nii-Nii?..."

Maki sat up from the bed while rubbing her eyes sleepily. She felt something shaking from beside her. The form of her cousin quivering from next to her.

"Nii-Nii? Nii-Nii?"

She tried shaking him lightly to wake him up, to no avail.

"Nii-Nii, Nii-Nii."

Despite her worried calls, he did not wake. He only shook violently and heaved heavy breaths while clutching at the bed sheets. Maki didn't know what to do.

In her desperation, all she could think of was holding him gently as they slept. His body slowly came to a stop as the minutes passed.

"I love you, Nii-Nii…. I will always be with you…"

And with that, they slept through the night, undisturbed.

* * *

 **Part 1**

 _ **DIN!**_

A priest flew back into a tree, unconscious from the impact.

—9 months since the factory incident. 9 months since the first meeting of Issei and Marie. 1 month since the 'Imperfect Balance Breaker incident'.

"Tch! Fall back, you fools! Go back! Now!"

The leader clicked his tongue in frustration. He was standing on a tree branch and ordering his squad to turn back away from the two enemies. Issei and Marie stood against the group of what seemed like only 20 priests. The priests began to run away as the leader gave his final words.

"Che! If only we hadn't lost _half_ of our total members..! Damn! The Sekiryuutei and an Excalibur wielder—. What an unfortunate combination. We will return. We will find our way. We are God's light..! Just you wait, Sekiryuutei, Excalibur Blessing. We will certainly find a way to rid ourselves of both of you."

The leader jumped into the treeline to escape with his squad. Marie quickly jumped onto the branch he was previously on to take chase.

"Let's go, partner!"

She didn't receive a response.

"Partner?"

She turned to see Issei standing in his same position, unmoving. No. His body was visibly shaking. She could hear him making heaving sounds through his grit teeth. There was an expression of horror on his face. His right eye was twitching violently.

"Huuu—! Huuuu—! Huuuu—! Ha—! Half—!"

He was in a state of panic. Marie glanced to the group of escaping cultists. She glanced back to Issei. Her glances switched again and again with a conflicted expression. Then, she closed her eyes in frustration.

"Half—! Half! 50! Half! 50! Half!—Half!"

 _ **SHINK!**_

Marie sheathed her sword and jumped down from the the tree. She landed in front of Issei, and grabbed ahold of both his shoulders.

"Partner! Look at me! Can you hear me!?"

"50 people!? 50 people!?"

"Partner! Partner, come back!"

"Ha—Half! Half!"

"— _Issei!_ "

Issei was snapped out of his state by the sudden call of his name.

Was it his mother's voice?

"Issei! Look! Here I am! We're not there right now, we're here. Do you see?"

—It was Marie.

"..M-Marie?"

"Yes! I am here!"

Issei clutched his head and shook it. There was sweat left on his palm from where he wiped.

"W-What? Where are the cultists?"

She let go of his shoulders.

"They're gone…"

"..?!"

Issei was shocked, but soon began to realize it.

"...It's my fault…"

Marie shook her head.

"No, it's not."

Issei clenched his fists tightly in self-frustration.

"Yes… It is…"

Marie looked off in the direction that the group escaped to. They were nowhere to be seen.

"Well... There's no helping it now. They are most likely far away from this place by now."

She turned back. Issei had his head lowered to the ground, but his gaze was set on the palms of his hands.

….

"Let's take a break for now."

* * *

Marie and Issei sat silently with their backs against some trees. Issei sat against the trunk of one, meanwhile, Marie sat on the one right beside it. Both were gazing off to somewhere in the distance. Though, Issei's expression was one emblematic of an empty sorrow.

"...Are you okay?..."

Marie asked Issei softly. He averted his gaze from her. She couldn't see it, but his right eye closed unconsciously.

"...Yeah…"

 _ **Slide**_..

Issei heard something slide beside him. Then, he felt something soft land on his shoulder. He turned to look. Marie was resting her head on his shoulder and looking up at him with a kind smile.

"Do you want to talk about it?.."

Issei's right eye shut even tighter as he turned his head away.

"...No… Never…."

Marie frowned in disappointment.

"..Okay…"

Marie's face suddenly lit up, as if a bulb appeared over her head.

"Oh, oh!"

She placed her hands around her neck and pulled something off. A golden chain. She pulled something out from her chest that was connected to the chain. A golden necklace with a large green jewel (with a perfectly oval shape), and a cross attached to the back of it. It looked a bit like two necklaces in one. Marie removed the necklace and held it out to Issei.

"Here you go!"

"...What's that?"

"My necklace, silly!"

"...Where has that been?"

"Huh? I've been wearing it this whole time!"

"Where?"

"Around my neck!"

"I've never seen it."

"It was sitting on my chest!"

Marie pointed right towards her bountiful cleavage. Issei realized why he never saw it. It wasn't sitting _on_ her chest, it was sitting _in_ her chest.

"Oh... So, it's a booby necklace then."

"Shut up!"

"Ow!"

Marie gave Issei a quick punch in the shoulder, prompting him to soothe it with a rub.

"..…Tch... So... Why are you giving this to me?"

"Ugh, I'm not _giving_ it to you! I'm letting you borrow it."

"..For what?"

Marie gave him a proud smile.

"Whenever I was in doubt, or whenever I needed something to make me feel better, I would always hold onto my necklace and pray. No matter what I went through, it has always made me feel better."

Issei raised a curious brow at her declaration.

"You didn't do that that time at the factory…"

Marie averted her gaze for some reason. Issei couldn't make out her expression.

"That's….."

She held out the necklace closer to his face.

"—Anyway! Here! You can hold onto this until it makes you feel better!"

Issei deadpanned.

"No... Well... I don't need it…"

Marie puffed her cheeks like an angry child at Issei's refusal.

"Mmmmmmmmmm!"

Issei stared at her blankly and silently. But, after a few seconds, he sighed.

"Haaaah….. Fine."

He took the necklace from her hand and held onto it. Marie smiled in satisfaction and laid her head back onto his shoulder.

"What are you….. Ughhhhh…"

Issei rubbed his nose bridge with a sigh. He gazed out into the sky while his left hand held onto the necklace tightly.

But as time passed…his grip loosened…. His breathing became softer…... And finally, his right eye slowly opened itself again.

….

...

"..Mm.."

Marie shifted in her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes. For some reason, she was still in the forest, lying back against a tree. It looks like she and Issei fell asleep for a nap in the forest.

"...Hmm…"

She heard some light breathing below her. She looked down.

"...Hmm…"

Issei was lying on one of Marie's legs, sleeping peacefully, in a fetal position.

….

….

Marie held a hand tightly over her mouth, and—

" _Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm_!"

She squealed as loud as she could. Her face was red with a mad blush, but her expression was one of extreme joy. For some reason.

* * *

 **-Partners-**

"...Huuu…"

A soft breathing was heard. Maki was sleeping alone in bed, in the early morning.

—12 months after the factory incident. 4 months since the 'Imperfect Balance Breaker incident'. One year since Issei and Marie's first meeting.

"...Hah…."

Issei sighed lightly while standing in front of a mirror in his bathroom. He looked up to his reflection - and slowly opened his right eye.

 _ **SLLG**_ ….

A small, disgusting wet sound was made as he opened it. Rather than being a yellowish, almost golden eye color he had gained over the past years, what instead revealed itself - was a sharp, green, reptilian eye.

The eye of a Dragon.

Issei picked up something that looked like a capsule of some sort. He opened it and pulled something out delicately. It was a colored contact lens. He carefully placed it into his eye.

After a couple of blinks, his eye was just that of a normal human.

4 months ago, during the "Imperfect Balance Breaker incident", as coined by Ddraig, Issei had lost his eye to an arrow of light. He was able to replace it, but at the cost of "sacrificing" what was left to Ddraig. Unfortunately for him, it didn't end there.

After Issei had essentially recovered from that event, he had questions to ask Ddraig. Those questions were:

 _("What did you take from me?")_

 _[Your eye, of course. Though, I have "taken" nothing from you. I only possess what you have given me. Unfortunately, your eye was not the only thing that became "inhuman".]_

 _("What else did you give me?")_

 _[You were pierced right through the skull, partner. Your eye was not the only thing that was affected. That is precisely why you were in such a disoriented state. I'm afraid that, in the affected areas, there were some important pieces of you that needed to be replaced.]_

 _("...What pieces?")_

 _[Your brain, partner. I'm talking about your brain. There were some pieces to it that were pierced by the arrow. You were not bleeding internally, thanks to the burning light, but if it gone on any further, then you would not have been able to function or live. That's why, whatever was taken from you by the arrow, I returned to you. So, your eye is not the only part of you that is a Dragon, Partner.]_

 _("My...brain?")_

 _[Yes. Thankfully, since it was an arrow, it's area of effect was thin. However, considering that it pierced straight through your head, the arrow made its way right through what you would call your "temporal lobe" and "occipital lobe". Because of this, there are vital things that have been affected by the change from human to Dragon anatomy.]_

 _("...What changed?...")_

 _[Both the "temporal lobe" and "occipital lobe", in mammals like you, are both separately responsible for sensory objectives like sights and sounds. The occipital was mainly for sight and other similar functions. Ironic, considering you had just lost your eye. That aside - the temporal is mainly for the function of sound, interpreting sounds, and comprehending speech and other similar functions. Including understanding language. If I were to say it optimistically, you essentially received improvements from these changes. For example, Dragons have the capability to easily comprehend any spoken language. Devils have a similar ability, but unlike Dragons, they cannot interpret written language at the same unbelievably fast rate as Dragons can. In other words, any language you do not know, you can speak once it is spoken to you. And any language you cannot understand in written form, you can learn to write in days. Also, your natural senses have dramatically increased as well. —No, it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that your previous senses would not compare in any way. Even with the influence of the Boosted Gear sharpening your instincts, as your instincts are now, there is no fair comparison to be made. I suggest you test out your senses like sight and sound. You will see and hear things that no other human can. Possibly even above supernatural beings as well.]_

 _("Why did I go crazy with the Imperfect Balance Breaker?")_

 _[Well, considering that there was an arrow through your skull inhibiting your senses, it isn't absurd to say that was the reason. However, even I know that isn't the case all the way through. You did continue to rampage even after you received your pieces during the transformation, after all. So, I believe that it is because you had received the new Dragon pieces from me that caused you to rampage. When you were pierced by the arrow, you were in a maddened state. That's why, when your damaged pieces were replaced by the Dragon parts, the sudden change had forced you to adapt to them at a moment's notice and caused you to go berserk. Your entire mentality was being ruled by deadly, brutal instinct rather than rational thinking. At that time, you were hardly even mentally present, if at all. You were essentially nothing more than an enraged mini Dragon. It is reminiscent of "the Drive".]_

Issei then asked him the heaviest question.

("… _.What….am I?...")_

 _[You are human. Your composition is still over 95% human. In truth, physically, you are 98% human. The only reason I do say 95% is because there are obviously parts of you that have been affected by the influence of the Boosted Gear. Such as your physical strength. Your base physical strength and durability has already surpassed that of humans, even without boosting. This is a somewhat confounding phenomenon, but it has surely taken place with all of the possessors of the past. It is not an uncommon thing amongst Longinus possessors with high potential to naturally surpass the realm of humans in terms of physicality. In terms of your mind, you are still human. Your mindset and the effects of the events of your past are certainly proof enough that you are human. That is what I believe.]_

Those were the answers that Ddraig gave to Issei.

Despite having unlocked and using his version of Imperfect Balance Breaker, Issei did not yet unlock the complete Balance Breaker. He was still one step away. He asked Ddraig:

 _("Why don't I have Balance Breaker yet?")_

 _[I'm not sure. It seems as if your body is physically capable of maintaining it, even if only for a limited time. Not to mention, your potential was high from the beginning, so it is odd that it has not come to you. If I had to come up with an explanation, it has to be because of the odd berserk mode that your Imperfect Balance Breaker turned out to be. Most users unlock the Imperfect form only because they aren't strong enough to handle the complete form. Yet, somehow, you ended up being forced into that form despite being compatible for the complete form. And right after you had unlocked that unique form, your Boosted Gear entered a "stagnant" mode where it could not be used. It wore off after a few days, but there are times when it will pulse oddly and lose the ability to Boost. I assume that it will stop when you unlock Balance Breaker, but even so, it feels as if you've been "distanced" from the complete form for an inexplicable reason. Regardless, the point is that in order to unlock the Balance Breaker, you will need to experience an event which triggers your spirit. Most evolutions occur during these types of events, as I explained before.]_

Issei sighed as he concluded his flashbacks. It was time to meet up with Marie.

* * *

"Alright, I guess that's it for today."

Issei sighed and cracked his neck. It was nighttime. Marie and him had just finished their patrols. It was odd to even call them "patrols" at this point though. Finding any of the Genesis members was beyond extremely difficult. There was almost always month to month gaps between any altercations with the cult. It was a bit humorous, and neither would admit it, but they were essentially just hanging out most of the time.

"Okay then. I'll see you tomorrow, partner~"

Issei narrowed his eyes slightly at Marie's departure. Issei noticed that, in the past few days, Marie had been acting a bit unusual. Even though her tone and attitude were mostly the same, he couldn't help feel a certain melancholy emanating from her. Like an little invisible cloud was hovering over her head.

But he feigned ignorance.

"Yeah, see ya, partner."

With those goodbyes said, they turned away from each other and walked off in their own directions.

But a few steps into his walk, Issei stopped. He almost immediately turned on his heel and jumped to hide in the shadows. Rather than following Marie, he merely looked at her from afar. She was already around 10 meters away, but every detail about her was crystal clear. In fact, it felt like he was seeing her closer than she actually was. So much so that he noticed a tiny tilt in her step.

' _That's not heading towards the school….'_

Now Issei had decided to follow her. Marie was taking some turns at some familiar streets, but not the ones he was expecting. Issei recognized this path.

' _As I thought…. She's…...heading into the forest?'_

Marie's form walked into the 'training forest'. This was the forest that Issei and Marie always trained in together. They spent a lot of time there and it was a hot spot for fighting cultists out of the public view, besides the abandoned places.

Why was she going in there? Issei didn't sense anything around. He quickly followed her in.

' _Marie?'_

He watched Marie from his place behind a tree. For some reason, she started removing some of her equipment. She laid her sword onto the ground and sat down against a tree. She brought her knees up and curled her body up a bit. She turned her coat over her, and...closed her eyes.

…..

"Hah?"

Issei didn't understand. She was going to sleep?

"...Good night, partner…."

….

"What the hell are you doing?"

"..?!"

Marie jumped up in shock.

"Wha—?! Issei?!"

Issei stood in front of the troubled Marie with a confused expression.

"O-O-Oh! Écaille! Um, what are you doing here?.."

"No, that's my question. Why the hell are you cozying up next to a tree?"

"U-U-U-Um, I'm just—! I'm on night watch!"

"Night watch? You mean a stake out?"

"Yes! That! I'm looking out for enemies!"

"Except you have to be awake for a stake out."

"Well— That's— Um."

"Marie."

Issei looked at her seriously. Marie couldn't help but feel a sense of security in his expression.

"Tell me the truth."

Marie gradually lost her false attitude and sighed. She had her head lowered a bit with a sad smile.

"...I'm afraid that...I'm on my own."

Issei tipped his head in confusion.

"Huh?"

Marie sighed again and slid back down against the tree in a depressed state. She wrapped her arms around her knees. Issei slid down next to her, against the same trunk of the tree.

"...I'm afraid that my resources have been taken from me…. I have _officially_ been deemed a failure…"

Issei raised a brow.

"Failure? What do you mean?"

Marie smiled sadly.

"Do you remember once when I told you that this case was expected to have a duration period of one year?..."

"...Yeah…"

"...Well, it looks like my time is up!"

Issei turned to her with what looked to be worry. She had finished her statement with a playful tone, but while looking at him with a terribly sad smile. There were tears at the corners of her closed eyes.

"What do you mean?... I don't understand…. You mean….you've 'failed' the mission?"

She nodded her head meekly.

"..It seems that I have taken too much time to 'solve' the case. For that reason, the church has lost faith in me, and they have ordered my return home. But because I denied, so that I could keep trying, they have ordered the academy to take my resources from me. So that's why, I'm back to the woods!"

She waved her hands out playfully, but there was pain in her expression. Issei started feeling a twitching in his eye.

"..They kicked you out?.."

"Mm. Well, not out of the church, at least. They're just trying to get me to return home by not providing me any resources…. So... Now I'm here, teehee!"

She raised her arm in the same, playfully sad way, again. Issei simply remained silent.

….

Without saying anything, he stood up and brought out his phone.

"Eh? Issei?"

He dialed a number and put the phone up to his ear.

"—Hello? Baa-san? Yeah, it's me. I gotta ask something. You know, about Marie-chan."

"..!"

Marie jumped up from her place.

"W-Wait, Issei! No! Stop, stop! Hang it up, hang it up!"

"Yeah, yeah. She's right here with me."

"Issei, please! Please! Just let me talk, please!"

Marie looked at him with an extremely pleading expression. Issei took a glance at her.

"...Hold on, Baa-san. I'll call you back."

Issei hung up the phone. Marie slid back down against the tree again. Issei followed.

"I…. _am_ a failure…"

Issei quietly listened to Marie's words.

"...I… Before I came here, I was considered the pride of the Rouen Cathedral…. I was revered throughout France as a professional Exorcist….. My ability to wield Excalibur naturally...and my skill was praised... I was..considered important…."

Marie began to spill her heart out. She spoke in a quiet and soft voice with her head in her knees. Issei said nothing, but silently processed the information she gave to him. He held his right eye closed unconsciously.

"But ever since Genesis came to be…the Church lost faith in me…. Did you happen to hear about that bombing in France a couple years ago?"

Issei nodded. —That's right. There was a bombing that he remembered hearing about in France. It was a church.

"...That was a designated attack….. It is still not understood how Genesis accomplished such a thing. The explosion had been caused by a Sacred Gear user who blew himself up using his Sacred Gear. The higher ups still do not understand how they obtained a Sacred Gear user that could do that. It was as if he was enhanced by something. And more than that, they didn't understand why they launched an attack right after the explosion.… But the place they attacked, it was said that there were 'Holy beings' in attendance that day. That was suspected to be their target for reasons not revealed to anyone.….. But the point is, I was in attendance during that day as well…. The day that Genesis attacked, I was there. I was ordered to defend the church base that had been attacked. Over half of the church was already gone from the explosion, and we were meant to defend the last of it…. But…."

She paused for a long while. Issei waited patiently for her to speak again.

"...At that time…. I couldn't handle it…"

Her body began shaking.

"...I couldn't handle….the sight of the charred remains….of the children of the church…..spread all across the ground…. I couldn't handle…...the sight of a burnt child….crawling with the last of his life…..begging for help…."

Gradually, her body shook even more and more violently.

"...Before that sight…..I could do nothing but lament….with the body of a child in my arms…. And because of my incompetence, the enemy escaped….. After that, Genesis continued with their operations. They kidnapped people, converted them forcibly, and killed those who would never join….. Time and time again, they would leave a trail of bodies in their path, and I could not stop them despite being considered France's top Exorcist….. The higher ups began to lose faith in me….. I would fail to capture them every time….. At some point, they didn't believe I could do it, and they removed me from the case….. That's when I vowed to them that I would bring down the organization. And if I couldn't, then they would take my Excalibur from me….. It was the best bargaining tool I had, but truthfully, they would have taken it from me anyway, at some point… But, now, I've failed... And that's why…..I don't want to go home..."

Her hands gripped tightly onto her forearms.

"...Because…. I know that the moment I return home….I will have truly failed…. And…. They will take my Excalibur from me….. I will have nothing left…. But, somehow….. Even more than that…...to leave this place, I will—"

Issei waited for what felt like 10 minutes for her to speak again. But, in truth, it was only worth a few moments.

"...I was never an amazing Exorcist….. I was just lucky that I was born with the ability to wield Excalibur….. I was always not good enough in the field….. I was always someone who couldn't handle the pressure….. And in the end, I would always jeopardize the mission for the sake of others…. Genesis was just the first case to make that flaw so obvious... It was only a matter of time before I was treated as I should be…"

Another lingering silence. Then, she continued.

"You know….. At that time... At the factory…. You said….that 'He' wasn't listening…. And I….."

Droplets of water dripped onto the blades of grass between Marie's legs. She had begun crying.

"...At that time…... There was nothing I could say to you….. I….. I couldn't d-deny it!... I…. At that time, inside of the forest….I saw my life flash before my eyes….. In the slow moments of the bullet reaching me….. I called out…for my Father to save me…... But…... The last thing I remember calling out to in my mind….was the person that ended up saving me instead!.."

She curled up even further as her body quaked violently. Her tears fell onto the ground freely.

"...Someone like me!... Someone who doubted her Lord!... Someone who can't fulfill her duties!... Someone who can't uphold her mission!... Someone who can't bear the sight of tragedy!... Someone weak like me!... I have no right to bear the Excalibur!... I have no right to fight for the church!... I have no right to call you my partner!... I have no right to have these developing feelings!... I—! I am nothing but a failure!..."

…..

A long, deafening silence sat in the air for what the two perceived as hours. Yet, it was truly only mere moments apart.

…..

" _ **Don't give me that bullshit."**_

—Marie's quivering suddenly ceased. She froze completely. She slowly lifted her head a few centimeters, and her eyes moved onto Issei. He was glaring at her with an expression of anger— but there was a comforting light in his eyes.

"Leaving that sort of a task all up to a teenager? Those shitty geezers of higher ups are nothing but spineless cowards who can't do shit themselves. They had no choice but to use talent like yours to fulfil their purpose. A "failure"? Despite your talent, you're a failure? A failure for what? A failure for having emotions? A failure for feeling empathy? A failure for being too kind? They blame you for _having_ all these traits, but they don't acknowledge you for _having_ the talents you have? A failure? A failure for what?"

Marie could only stare at him in silence as he spoke with a burning passion.

"A failure for living? A failure for being you? Those shitbags. There's one thing they could never understand. One thing that makes you so much greater than them."

Her eyes slowly began to widen the more and more he spoke.

"They deemed you a failure because they didn't understand that there was nothing wrong with you. They placed their idea of "faults" over you and let you run off with it on your back. But let me tell you this: You aren't a failure. You are my partner. And I will always come to help you. Even if that church or even God himself fuckin' abandon you, I won't. Because I'm your partner. And because I understand one thing all of those shitheads don't."

His eyes burned straight through her and she felt a powerful pulse in her heart.

— _ **"** **There's nothing wrong with being human!"**_

At that moment, it felt like a glimmer of hope was lit in Marie's eyes. But that light was something that seemed it was being reflected off of her eyes.

—The comforting light that emanated from Issei's image before her.

….

….

….

 _ **Clang**_ ….

Marie's sword made a soft sound as it was moved aside from her thigh.

"...Marie?.."

Issei called out to her, but she did not answer. She only sat up and inched herself closer to Issei.

"Hey.."

She lightly placed her hands against his chest and brought her body closer to his. And the distance between their faces decreased substantially.

Until, finally—

 _ **Chu**_..

—Their lips met.

….

Marie's lips were soft and gentle. Only subtle movements were made. Her hands only softly caressed his chest. Their lips made small noises on contact, but the entire rest of the world around them was silent.

….

Soon enough, their lips parted.

 _ **Chu**_..

"...A..."

Issei had no words. Anything he did say was completely soundless, and all he could do was mouth it. And for the first time in what felt like years, Issei's face had a redness to it.

Marie laid her head on Issei's chest.

"...Home…"

"H-Huh?"

Issei tried peering down to Marie's face with a mid-shocked expression. But she merely kept her head against his chest with a soft blush and a gentle expression.

"...I...want to go _home_ …"

It took Issei a minute to process it.

"..A...Ah…. Y-Yeah…. Right..."

He pulled out his mobile phone and called his aunt.

"A-Ah, Baa-san? Y-Yeah, we're fine….Yeah. I'll explain it there. Yeah, we're on our way..."

As Issei's short conversation continued, Marie snuggled her head further in and closed her eyes gently.

* * *

"Alright then. Would you mind explaining a bit, Issei-kun?"

Satoshi asked Issei frankly. The Aikawa family was gathered around the Kotatsu in the living room. On one side was Satoshi, Akane, and Maki in between them. On the other side were the two that just returned home, Issei and Marie. Issei started.

"I'm afraid…. I'm afraid that Marie doesn't have a place to stay anymore."

 **[—!]**

The family glanced at each other in uncertainty. Akane spoke next.

"No place to stay? If I recall, you were living at the Catholic school not too far from here, Marie-chan?"

Marie nodded meekly. She was avoiding eye contact with Issei's family out of shame. Satoshi added.

"So, you're saying they kicked her out?"

"...Yeah, that's essentially right."

 **[—!]**

The family became shocked at the announcement. Akane covered her mouth in shock.

"Why would they ever do such a thing?"

Issei averted his gaze and shut his right eye. Satoshi caught onto that detail.

Ever since a few months ago, Issei had developed some sort of "tick". Whenever he became agitated/nervous— or —spoke/thought of something that affected him deeply, his eye would always twitch or shut entirely. It happened once when Satoshi had taken him to visit his parents' graves. Issei's eye was tightly shut the entire day.

That means that this was something that was irking for Issei to speak about.

—And just as Satoshi suspected, Issei began in a lower tone that sounded like it held a tinge of disgust in it.

"...Well, Marie has a certain job in the church. A very special job. That job is something that is very closely observed and upheld. The church believes that if one isn't fulfilling their job in that position, then there should be no second chances and they should be stripped of that right immediately."

"..Oh my, what a harsh system."

Akane couldn't help but comment. Issei continued.

"It only really happens when it pertains to that job specifically…. Unfortunately, the higher church members have begun to lose faith in Marie's abilities. They believe that she has not been fulfilling her duties properly. And for that reason, they have ordered her to return home to France."

"Oh no."

Akane covered her mouth with a bit of a sad expression. Maki showed an extremely displeased expression, mixed with worry. Meanwhile, Satoshi continued listening intently, analyzing every part of Issei in a calm manner.

"The problem is, Marie doesn't want to return home to France. She wanted to keep trying and fulfill her duties. But the church doesn't accept "no" as an answer. Because of her denial, they have stripped her of her resources. Which means, that no other church will take her in, based on the orders given to them by her Cathedral. And they won't send her anything as support. So she's left on her own. This is a method meant to drive her back home forcefully."

Akane clasped her mouth tighter in complete shock.

"I can't believe it. That's…. But that's cruel…. Satoshi?"

Akane turned to her husband for his opinion. Satoshi held his gaze on Issei.

He analyzed all of Issei's movements and words carefully. Issei's expression held a quiet, but burning passion. His eyes were filled with the light of a certain determination to do something, as if he held a fire in them. His right eye was no longer shut. Instead, his intense gaze burned through Satoshi's soul.

Was his eye an indicator of lying or telling the truth? No, not necessarily. That was something that could only be decided by the context of the conversation. Because there were times when Issei would tell Maki a white lie in order to make her feel better, and there were times when he would speak of something personal and real, but both times his eye would be closed. It only shuts if it's something that truly affects him in some way. That's the one certain criteria that remains the same all throughout any situation.

So, in this case, his eye being open— would simply mean that he's not willing to back down.

"Papa. We're helping her, right? We're going to help her, right? We can't just leave her alone. We're helping her, right? Right?"

Maki tugged at her father's sleeve incessantly, holding an expression of deep concern. Satoshi ignored it and instead switched his gaze to Marie. He began to closely analyze her as well.

Marie was sitting in the Japanese 'sazen' style position. She would usually sit in a different position when she came to visit because she wasn't native to the country, and the family didn't really mind, but this time, she wasn't.

The reason she is in that position is precisely because she feels vulnerable and wants to show the family the utmost respect. She is averting her gaze and shifting in her spot constantly. The hands in her lap are constantly fidgeting and she always keeps her eyes down to the ground somewhere. Her expression was one of shame, as if she felt embarrassed that this was happening. Her white attire had light green stains on them in certain places. Her coat laying beside her had dark spots that looked like dirt marks. Her hair was also mostly fixed, but he could easily take notice of the stray hairs everywhere, indicating that she hasn't groomed it in a few hours. Even if she and Issei were outside all day, that sort of subtle, unkempt look doesn't happen from just walking around.

And the final detail— Marie had a sad smile on her face.

…..

Satoshi leaned back and sighed.

"Well, I'll have to adjust finances a bit, but, there's no problem in taking in another person. Ah, but, this means no more expensive shopping trips for your mother to buy new kitchen appliances all the time. Oh well, sacrifices have to be made~"

Marie's eyes slowly widened at those owrds.

"Whaaaaaat? Why is it that my expenses have to be shortened? What about your fishing trips, huh, honey?"

"That is something that is enjoyed by myself, Maki, _and_ Issei-kun, together. It doesn't just affect me. It's simple logic. Also, you don't need new appliances every month. We can keep a fridge for more than two _years_ you know."

"Whaaaaaat?! B-B-But, they're releasing a new crock pot next month! It has a second compartment!"

"For what?"

"More rice!"

"You are wasting our money."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"

Even though the married couple was "arguing", the family collectively began laughing together.

Realizing the outcome, Marie had tears building in her eyes.

"I—! I swear I will do everything I can to help you all! I swear, I'll do anything! I'll do any chores you want me to! I'll go anywhere you want me to! I won't ever cause you any trouble! I swear! I swear on my life!"

Marie declared that wholeheartedly while placing a hand over chest. The family smiled in response, and Satoshi nodded.

"Welcome home, Marie."

At that point, tears began falling freely from Marie's eyes. Maki quickly scurried around the Kotatsu and gave Marie a bear hug.

"Yaaaaaay~! Marie-onee-san is staying! Yaaay! Yaaay!"

Marie hugged her back tightly.

"...Heh."

Issei smiled and leaned back onto his arms. Unbeknownst to anyone else, he let out a silent sigh of relief.

All except for Satoshi, who smirked kindly upon noticing it.

' _You are so much kinder than you think, Issei-kun…'_

* * *

 **-Life-**

From that moment onward, Issei's life began moving forward like a dream. As the months passed, many events moved quickly by, and became joyful memories. Despite all of the darkness that shadowed it before, despite the cult that they had vowed to stop, Issei's life - was like a beautiful, fleeting dream.

* * *

 **[** — **]**

"...Haah…"

Marie sighed lightly as she stared up at the ceiling in silence. Maki lay beside her, turned away from her, seemingly sleeping.

—It was the same night that Marie began living in the Aikawa Household.

Marie couldn't sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about a certain person. With what felt like a certain sense of longing, she held her hand softly over her heart.

' _...Issei…'_

"Psst. Marie-onee-san, are you sleeping?"

Maki whispered from beside Marie. Marie shook off her thoughts.

"..Maki-chan? No... I'm afraid I can't…"

"Me neither. I can't sleep well without my Nii-Nii."

"I see..."

Marie sighed to herself again. What was this feeling of melancholy, she wondered. But before she could continue questioning it, Maki suddenly sat up.

"Hm? Maki-chan?"

"Let's go!"

"Eh?"

Maki started sliding out of bed.

"Wait, what? Go? W-Where, Maki-chan?"

Maki hopped off the bed and smiled back at her.

"To Nii-Nii's room, of course!"

"Eh? Wh— Wa—!"

Without waiting for a response, Maki pulled Marie out of bed and towards the door. She opened her door and peeked out. No one was there, all the lights were off. She pulled Marie forward as they snuck to Issei's door. She opened it silently and peeked inside. Issei was sleeping. She whispered back to Marie.

"Come on, let's go..!"

"W-Wait, Maki-chan..!"

Maki pulled them in and shut the door quietly. Then, she quickly walked over to Issei's bed and crawled onto his left side, against the wall. Marie fidgeted in place nervously. Though it wasn't her first time in Issei's room, she felt embarrassed in this context.

"Just like I thought…"

Maki whispered from her spot next to Issei. Marie realized it as she gazed at his sleeping form.

 _ **Shift**_.. _!_

Issei's body was visibly shaking as he slept, and the breathing through his nose was ragged. He was having a night terror.

"Nii-Nii always has nightmares if I'm not here…. Sometimes, I don't know how to stop it…"

Maki laid down facing Issei and gently held onto his hands, that were gripping his bed sheets tightly. His shaking lessened to a degree.

"Come on, Marie-chan."

"Eh?"

Maki signaled for Marie to join her, but Marie hesitated. She looked down at Issei's form, and for some reason, she felt a tightness in her chest.

"..Then, um... _Excusez-moi_..."

Marie crawled onto the bed and laid down facing Issei's backside. His body was still shaking. For some reason, she felt compelled put her arms slowly around his waist and hold him gently.

 _ **Slide**_ ….

Just as she did that, Issei's quaking - visibly ceased.

"..He stopped…"

"Good job, Onee-san! It looks like you're just like me!"

A soft expression gradually grew on Marie's face. She gently placed her head against Issei's back.

"Yes…"

...

...

"Eh?"

Issei woke up confused the next morning, along with two girls inexplicably wrapped around him.

* * *

 **[—]**

"Alright, Baa-san! We're heading out!"

Issei announced that loudly from near the entrance of the house.

Issei and Marie were about to head out of the house to go on their routinely patrols. Akane called out from her usual spot in the kitchen.

"Kaaay! Have fun on your date!"

Issei sighed as they stopped in front of the door.

"I already said it's not a date, Baa-san!"

"Marie-chan, have fun on your date~!"

"Yes, Auntie~!"

"Don't encourage her."

Then, Maki suddenly popped her head out from the entrance to the living room.

"What?! No fair! I want a date with Nii-Nii!"

Marie giggled and walked to pet Maki's head.

"Oh, Maki-chan. Maybe when you get older you can. For now, dates are for the adults."

Maki puffed her cheeks in frustration.

"No! I also want a date! If Marie-onee-san gets one, then I will get one too! Even if I must battle for it!"

Marie was taken aback by her response, but she soon smiled in a way Issei had never seen before. Almost like a 'battle ready' smile. An aura of intensity then surrounded the two girls.

"It seems that we have now become rivals, haven't we, Maki-chan?..."

"Yes. That's right."

"I see. Well then, may the best lady win."

"Agreed."

The girls shook hands with competitive smiles on their faces. Sparks flew between their eyes and intense (metaphorical) fires blazed behind their figures.

—The "war" had officially begun.

"...What the fuck are you two doing?..."

* * *

 **[—]**

"Alright, next phrase!"

"Ugh…"

Issei grimaced as Marie moved on to the next line on the paper. Issei was sitting and writing at his desk, while Marie sat beside him with papers in her hands. She was currently teaching Issei French.

"Ugh! I fuckin' get it alreeeadyyy. I don't need you to teach me phrase by phrase."

"Hm? Yeah right! There's no way you can get this beautiful language of mine so easy! It is the language of love! It is not so easy to understand!"

"I thought the language of love was Spanish?"

"That is the language of ' _romance_ '! —Also, that one is next., by the way."

"UGH! Stoooop! I don't need it anymore! I get it already!"

"Oh yeah? Then what does this phrase say!"

"The French Revolution was a period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France and its colonies that lasted from 1789 until 1799. It was partially carried forward by Napoleon during the later expansion of the French Empire. Blah blah, I get it. It's the textbook definition. I got this the first day you taught me. Next language."

"...Eh?"

* * *

 **[—]**

"...This is my life…"

Issei sighed. He was waiting alone, outside of a movie theater, on a cold winter's day. He was dressed in a red jacket, black sweatpants, his usual black shoes and some gloves. Though, he had his hands in his pockets.

"Écailleeeeeeeee~!"

He heard a voice approaching from afar, to his left. He glanced and saw the person he was waiting for.

"There you fuckin' are."

Marie was running towards him happily while waving her arm in the air. She was wearing a nice brown jacket, red plaid skirt, black leggings, and brown boots. She also had pink gloves on her hands and pink ear muffs on her head. It went without saying that as she started living with the Aikawa family she finally wore normal clothes.

"You're late."

"Haah!... Hah!..."

She finally came to a stop in front of Issei while trying to catch her breath. She was quite the fit girl, so Issei found it odd that she was out of breath just from that. In truth, it was actually because she was nervous.

"Sorry for being late, partner!"

She saluted him and smiled.

"...Tch…"

Issei clicked his tongue. That's because it was taking all of his will power not to smile. Somehow, that signature action of hers had become his weakness, though he would never admit it.

"I can't believe I was late to our first date! I'm sorry, Issei!"

"Hah? This ain't a date. I'm just taking you out 'cuz it's your birthday, and if I didn't, Baa-san would have my ass."

"It's a date!"

"It's not a date."

"Date!"

"No date."

"Daaaate!"

"Nooooo."

Marie puffed her cheeks angrily and gave a cute "Hmph!" as she turned her head away. Issei fought a smirk.

"Whatever. Why the hell were you late anyway?"

Marie awkwardly averted her gaze with a fake smile.

"Ah, t-that was because we couldn't find my boots…"

In truth, it was because Akane and Maki were both scrambling and trying extremely hard to find the perfect outfit and accessories for Marie to wear. It was literally a panic room inside of the master bedroom as many outfits were tossed out of the closet. Satoshi quietly ignored it as he read a book and drank coffee, with a tossed shirt sitting on his face.

"Hmph. Whatever. Let's head in. The movie's about to start."

"Ah, wait for me!"

Marie clung onto Issei's arm as he walked. Issei caught a whiff of something familiar and sniffed the air. His senses were starting to become anywhere beyond a human's level at this point.

"— _ **Sniff, sniff**_ — Are you wearing Baa-san's perfume?"

"W-What? N-No... Y-You're imagining things."

"You literally smell like that crazy expensive perfume that Baa-san only uses for seriously important occasions."

"A-Are you saying that I smell good?"

Refusing to admit it, Issei just sighed.

"...Haah... Forget it."

And Marie wiped her brow in relief.

"Phew~ Okay, come on! Let's hurry! We have to go Christmas shopping after this!"

"Huh? Christmas shopping isn't till next week. Also, we aren't supposed to go without either Baa-san or Oji-san, since they've gotta pick up gifts."

"But this is personal shopping just for us~!"

"Huh? How the hell are we gonna do that?"

Marie pulled out a credit card that Akane had given her. Issei grimaced as they entered the theater.

"Whyyyyyyyyy…."

* * *

 **[—]**

"Merry Christmaaaas~!"

—It was Christmas eve. The Aikawa family, including Marie, were gathered together in the living room of their home, setting up decorations and making preparations for Christmas.

Akane was in the kitchen baking and cooking several dishes and pastries, while Satoshi gave her a hand with everything. Marie and Maki were setting up the tree with decorations together, while Issei handed them the proper ones they asked for.

"Nii-Nii, can you pass me the little Angel?"

Issei brought out an ornament that looked like an Angel and handed it to Maki, who then handed it to Marie. The Aikawa family never really had such decorations like Christian imagery, ornaments, or even the small nativity scene set up on the table before. But ever since Marie moved in they felt it was appropriate to make her feel at home. She tried convincing them otherwise at first, but with their insistence, she complied. And needless to say, it brought sweet smiles to her face whenever they would pick out some religious material. The family was never religious, but this was fine enough for them.

"Ah, it's midnight! Time to put up the staaar~!"

Akane called out from the kitchen as she removed her oven mittens. The family began to gather around the tree.

"Here, here! Put it up, Nii-Nii~!"

Maki handed Issei the star for the tree. He stood on top of the sofa to place the star at the top of the tree.

"Careful, Ise-kun."

"Yeah, yeah, I've got it."

Issei delicately placed the star on the tree.

"Okay, light it up."

Satoshi connected the cord to the outlet and the tree lit up brilliantly.

"Woooooow~!"

"Yaaay! Christmas!"

Marie gazed at the tree dazzlingly while Maki cheered. Marie then smiled at Issei extremely brightly, with sparkles present in her face.

"Écaille! I want to go on a date tomorrow!"

"Huh? I just took you out for your birthday like two weeks ago."

"I want a Christmas date!"

"I don't."

"Ise-kun. Take Marie out for a Christmas date tomorrow."

"Haaah?! Why do I have to?!"

"Ise-kun~"

"...Y-Yes, Obaa-sama."

* * *

 **[—]**

"HAAAAAH!"

Issei shot up from his bed with a sharp gasp for air. His body was shaking and sweating profusely. He clutched at his chest and felt his restless heartbeat. Maki and Marie were both sleeping peacefully beside him.

 _ **Ton!**_

He hopped off the bed and quickly ran out of the room. Then he ran downstairs and into the living room. His back crashed onto the couch as he breathed heavily.

"...Haaah!... Hah!... Haah!..."

He forced breath in and out of his nostrils to regulate his breathing. But it wasn't working.

"...Issei?.."

His eyes shot towards the entrance to the living room at the sound of a voice. Marie was standing there in her pink pajamas that matched Maki's blue ones. She walked towards Issei and sat down beside him.

"..."

Without saying anything, she lifted her hand and held it open. In her palm, she held the necklace she usually wore around her neck. She held it out for Issei to take.

"..."

But, instead of taking it—

 _ **Grip**_..

Issei placed his hand over Marie's palm and wrapped his hand tightly around hers, with the cross in between their grips.

"...!"

Marie was surprised by his action, but..

 _ **Slide**_...

Nevertheless, she intertwined her fingers with Issei's and held firmly onto his hand.

"...Haah.."

Only some few seconds later, his breathing had finally regulated.

* * *

 **[—]**

"Hm, Hmmmmm~!"

Marie hummed happily as she churned some chocolate mix inside of a bowl. Akane and Marie were baking cookies and chocolate for the upcoming holiday. Valentine's day. Issei was still at dojo so they didn't have much time to finish up Marie's chocolates which were already baking.

—What they didn't know was that someone was waiting outside of the front door.

"Okay, okay. Breathe... Um, okay. How about: [I know you've gotten a lot of these already, but it would make me really happy if you accepted them!]? Ah, no, no. Too guilt trippy."

The girl who stood outside of the Aikawa Household with a box of homemade chocolates behind her back, was none other than Akane Tsubomi. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Okay. Let's just— Um, speak from the heart."

 _ **Ding-Dong~**_

She rang the doorbell and waited nervously. She heard thumping from behind the door. Then, the voice of a woman she didn't recognize.

"Cooooming~!"

The door opened to reveal a red haired girl in a pink apron with a chocolate covered mixer in her hand. There were also chocolate stains on her clothes and on her face.

"Oh! Hello!"

Tsubomi's posture slumped, and the excitement in her expression slowly faded.

"Who might you be? One of Maki-chan's friends? Oh! Maybe you are the friend of Écaille!"

"E..Eke?.."

"Écaille! It is French! Ah, but maybe you know him as Issei. Are you here to see him? Because he is at dojo right now. But you can come in and wait for him! We can make cookies together before he comes back!"

Tsubomi lowered her head sadly.

"Mm. No... It's okay…. Just tell him I said hi when he gets home…"

"Eh? Are you sure? He should be home soon."

"Yeah... It's fine…"

"Oh... Okay…"

Tsubomi turned on her heel to leave. Marie only watched her walk away until she reached the gate, then she finally shut the door. Tsubomi sighed sadly as she stepped out of the gate to the yard.

"Hm? Tsubomi?"

She flinched at the familiar voice. Issei was apparently standing right behind her.

"H-Hyoudou!?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh!"

She quickly hid the box behind her.

"Nothing! I was just...checking to see if you were home. I stopped by to say hi."

"That so? Alright, let's go inside then."

"N-No! It's okay! I actually have to leave now! I only came to give a quick hello is all. You know, since it's Valentine's day…. I just wanted to make sure you planned to give back some gifts to all those girls who got you something today! You know, for 'white day'! Hyoudou can be quite forgetful sometimes! Ehehehe…"

Issei raised a suspicious brow at Tsubomi's odd posture.

"Whaddya got behind your back there?"

"Eh? N-Nothing! I don't have anything!"

"Really? Show me your hands."

"Um, I really have to go now so—! Kyah!"

Issei swiped at Tsubomi's left side, causing her to think he was going to grope her, but that was a feint. He instead reached around her right side and swiped what was in her hands.

"Hm? Chocolates?"

"H-Hey! Give those back! They're mine!"

"Who'd you get them from?"

"Y-You wouldn't know him!"

"No, but you always get rid of the stuff other guys get you on Valentine's. So why keep this one?"

"None of your business!"

She kept trying to swipe the box from Issei's hands, but he was too tall. For a 13 year old boy, he was already 170 centimeters tall. So just by holding his hands above his head, it was impossible for her to reach it.

Issei then opened the box and ate a chocolate from it.

"Wha—?!"

"Mm. Not bad. I'll keep this."

Issei stepped into the gate of his house, leaving Tsubomi behind.

"Wha—?! Hey!"

He held the box up as he waved back to her.

"Thanks. I'll make sure to get you something for white day."

"Wha—?! Get back here! I wasn't talking about myself, idiot! Come back!"

Issei opened the door to his house and took a step in. He spoke without turning.

"Thanks."

Then, he shut the door behind him.

 _ **Dakun**_.

"...Ah…"

Tsubomi sighed.

"Haah... That jerk."

She looked down to her shoes. A small smile grew on her face.

….

—The next day at school.

"Hyoudou! Tell that red haired girl who was at your house yesterday that I challenge her!"

"Huh? Marie? Why?"

"Just tell her that, from this point forward, I am challenging her!"

"In what? A swimming race? I'm not gonna lie to you, even though you've been practicing for years, I think she'll win. She's kind of a freak."

"No, not that. Listen, just—! Tell her I challenge her! That's it! Got it?"

"Alright…"

….

—When Issei returned home and told Marie.

"What?! So that woman was a rival in disguise?! I see! Very well! In that case, I accept her challenge! I will not lose to anyone besides Maki-chan! And I don't even plan to lose to her either!"

"...What the fuck has my life become?..."

* * *

 **[—]**

 _ **Scrub, scrub**_.

Issei scrubbed the soap in his hair as he sat in the bath. The tub was full of water and just about ready for him to go in. Maki had wanted to join him, but he said no. When she complained and threatened not to take a bath, he stood his ground against her. She ended up giving up and suddenly going up to Marie for something. Whispering something about "cooperation"? Hopefully, she's just asking Marie to take baths with her from now on. It would make much more sense for them to bathe together.

 _ **Pat, pat!**_

"Hm?"

Issei heard what sounded like feet patting the floor from outside of the sliding door of the bath. Was it just his imagination?

"Écaille~!"

No, it wasn't.

 _ **Slide!**_

The sliding door slid open and Marie stood there in a white swimsuit bikini.

"I have come to wash your back!"

 _ **Thud!**_

Issei fell off of his bath seat in surprise.

"WHA—?! What the fuck are you doing, Marie?!"

Issei closed his legs and covered his privates with his hands.

"Maki-chan said that in Japan it is custom to do this "skinship" with others you care for! Therefore, I have come to give you support in the bath, partner!"

Marie winked with a peace sign and stuck her tongue out playfully. And Maki's prank of revenge suddenly became clear to him.

"MAAAAAAAAAKIIIIIIIIIIII!"

* * *

 **[—]**

"Are you sure you're not gonna burn yourself?"

"I...don't know…"

Issei and Marie were currently standing beside a shallow river with a soft current. Issei had taken off his jacket and was only wearing his usual white muscle shirt. Marie couldn't help but stare at his toned figure. That was surely no body that a 13, almost 14 year old, should have.

"What?"

"Eh?! What?! I wasn't looking!"

"Huh?"

"N-Nothing, nothing! Just tell me what's next!"

Issei narrowed his eyes but shrugged it off anyway.

"Alright, so Ddraig says that I should be able to build up a resistance to flames if I train with them. So we're here to test it out."

"Right. But, is that really something you can do? I mean, your skin is still human."

"Yeah I had my doubts too. But the times that I was learning to use my fire I somehow never ended up burning myself."

"Maybe you were just lucky?"

"Well, that's why we're doing tests."

Marie frowned.

"I don't like that idea. What if you get burned bad?"

Issei shrugged casually.

"Eh, I probably won't. Even if I do, what's the big deal? I'm already full of scars from other bastards anyway. The fuckin' one from the arrow is still on my head, under all my hair."

"I know... But…. I don't want to see anymore on you.."

Issei raised a brow. Marie was gazing at him with a concerned expression. It felt like she was inspecting his body. He averted his gaze and rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"R-Right…. Well, I'll be careful."

Marie nodded.

"Also, we're never bathing together again."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeh?!"

' _Alright, Ddraig. How do we do this?'_

[Try spawning some flames onto your palm like normal. Then, from there try to gradually spread it onto your hand. We'll see if it burns you or not.]

"..Uh... Alright. Here goes."

Issei lifted up his right arm and spawned flames in his palm.

[Alright. Now try engulfing your hand with it.]

Issei smiled bitterly at the sound of "engulfing". Slowly but surely, he expanded the flame to cover his hand.

"O Lord!.."

Marie flinched as she watched it cover Issei's hand. Issei had his eyes tightly shut, waiting for the burn…..but, it didn't come.

"...Are?"

"W-What is it?"

Issei tilted his head curiously.

"It...doesn't burn?"

That's right. It didn't burn. It didn't even feel that hot. There was only a slight warmth around his hand. But no burn.

[Hoh. Interesting.]

' _What is it, Ddraig?'_

[It seems your potential has been further solidified by this event. Surely, if this does not burn you, then you do have high potential indeed. Most interesting. Try covering your entire arm with it.]

' _What the_ — _?! For saying something so shocking you sure sound excited!'_

[Well, it has been a long while since I have since a host with such high potential. The last known host who was able to do such a thing so easily was Belzard. But he was my strongest host in history. I wonder how you will compare…]

' _Ah, now he's daydreaming.'_

Issei hesitated right before expanding the flame. He swallowed some saliva in his throat.

".. _ **Gulp**_.."

With that gulp, he slowly expanded the fire up towards his forearm. Marie held her breath in anticipation. Slowly, the fire began to cover his entire arm stopping just short of his shoulder. Issei slowly opened his eyes.

"...It doesn't burn…"

[Hooooh…. Hohohohoho….]

"It doesn't burn... Haha…. Hahaha! It doesn't burn at all!"

Issei and Marie smiled as they gazed at the fiery arm.

[Well done, partner. Now try boosting it.]

"Okay! Boost!"

 **[Boost!]**

The flame expanded in size slightly. Marie gasped.

"It's alright! It doesn't burn, haha!"

Even though Issei said that, he did feel a subtle heat building up in his arm. It seemed obvious since it was a stronger flame. But the heat felt as if it was possibly getting stronger.

"...Ahaha...ha…. It's...kinda getting hotter…. Um, Ddraig?"

[Mm. Perhaps you should put this one out, partner.]

' _Hehe... Why?'_

"...Ahaha…. Ow…. It kinda burns a little bit…. Ow…. Okay, it burns a bit…. Ah…."

The heat had increased. It was definitely starting to burn.

"Ah... Ah— Ah, ah! Ah! Ah! Ow! Ow! OW! Oh shit! OH SHIT!"

"Ah, ah! T-The water, Issei! Put it out in the water!"

 _ **Splash! Ssss!**_

Steam rose from the water as Issei dumped his hand in the river. When he eventually pulled it out, the skin was slightly red.

[As I thought, it seems that you can only withstand flames of yours that are not boosted. In this case, it would be possible to build a resistance to flames at the same level as your own. It must be because of your high potential that it is possible for you to already have a tolerance for your own. Normal flames from a bonfire wouldn't affect you much. Think of it like building a tolerance to poison. We'll try increasing the strength of flames you can naturally handle by having you meditate with your aura around your body. Also, poison resistance is possible as well. But most humans can do that. It will just be faster for you.]

' _Wait, wait, wait, slow down. First, how the fuck am I able to handle these flames in the first place? You always talk about my potential but potential isn't a physical thing. What is it that is actually preventing me from being burned?'_

[The simple answer: your aura. Do you remember all those moments I've referenced the influence of the Boosted Gear and the Sekiryuutei?]

' _No shit, you always say it.'_

[Yes well, one of the most key factors of that influence is your aura. The aura of the Sekiryuutei is powerful and alluring. It draws in many existences powerful and not. Your aura is the physical aspect of yourself, or rather of the Sekiryuutei, that gives you the ability to resist such things. It's also the thing that causes you to surpass human strength. Your aura influences your composition. So in a way, you are physically superior to humans in general.]

' _Is that so?..'_

Issei looked down to his pants. The water only went less than halfway up to his knee. So now, his shoes were completely drenched along with the bottom of his pants.

"Well, there goes my good shoes."

 _ **Splash!**_

Issei heard a splash a couple feet away from him. Marie was frozen in place after jumping into the river without her boots.

"...What are you doing?"

"...Playing?.."

She said that with an innocent smile. Issei deadpanned.

[Let's leave it be. There should be no harm in it.]

Issei turned his head away and ignored her antics, trying to focus on his abilities instead.

Meanwhile, Marie immediately started jumping around in the water.

 _ **Splash, splash, splash!**_

"Yaaay! Teehee!"

Issei would have continued ignoring it, if not for the fact that the legs of his pants were starting to get wet from stray splashes.

"Ah, hey! Cut it out!"

"Oh! Sorry!"

Marie apologized with her hand covering her mouth. She usually only did that when she was trying to hide a smile.

…..

 _ **Splash!**_

Issei kicked water at her legs once.

"Wah! Hey!"

He scoffed in amusement. But the moment he turned his back—

 _ **Splash!**_

—His entire back was splashed with water.

"Oh my lord! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for it to be that much!"

Marie apologized with both hands over her mouth. Issei slowly creaked his body in her direction. He glared at her silently for a few seconds. Neither of them made a sound.

"..."

Marie's eyes suddenly glanced towards her sword, lying with her equipment next to the river, and then back to Issei.

….

 **[Boost!]**

Marie rolled out of the way and caught her sword before a splash could hit her.

 _ **Splash!**_

She stood with her sword, only to dodge another splash of water at the last second.

 _ **Splash!**_

When she landed again, she charged up a holy aura within her sword and reared it back.

"O..Oi…"

"Hah!"

She swung it into the water and released the aura. The splash completely covered Issei.

 _ **Splaaaash!**_

….

"Ah…"

Marie realized it as Issei stood there with his entire body drenched in water.

….

"Boost."

Issei said that as he aimed at the ground below Marie. No announcement from his gear was made as he said that.

"Ah."

But Marie soon realized it.

 **[Shot!]**

And with that, a giant splash of water launched upwards into the sky and fell down like rain.

 _ **SPLAAAAAASH!**_

…

…

…

…

 _ **Drip**_ …. _**Drip**_ ….

In the end, the only thing that didn't end up getting wet was Issei's jacket, which was set off to the side.

—Issei and Marie sat next to a tree with drenched bodies. They had taken off most of their clothes and hung it out to dry on the branch above their head. Issei was sitting in his underwear, meanwhile, Marie was completely naked except for Issei's jacket that she had wrapped around herself.

"...Um... Are you sure it's alright to use your jacket?... You might catch a cold."

"That's my line. I have the influence of the Sekiryuutei to protect me from the common cold, but you're completely naked and vulnerable. It's better that you use it."

Marie was sitting in her signature position of having her knees up against her chest and arms wrapped around her legs. Except this time it was because it was the best way to cover up her magnificent breasts.

"Is that so? Well, if you get sick, then I will laugh while I am taking care of you~ Teehee~"

"Hmph. You're saying that as if it's a bad thing, but you just admitted that you would take care of me."

She averted her gaze with a blush.

"..S-Shut up."

Issei smirked. But Marie randomly started laughing.

"Hehehe…. Hehehe…"

"Hm? What's so funny?"

She shook her head. She had a sad smile on her face.

"It's just…. It's only at times like these that I realize how terrible I am.."

Issei frowned and furrowed his brows. These words sounded familiar.

"What do you mean?"

"Well…"

She crossed her legs and pulled at her feet with her hands in a bashful manner. She retained the same sad, wide grin.

"...Even though I was supposed to fulfill my duties all this time, here I am doing nothing, but experiencing the happiest moments of my life!"

….

"Tch... Shut the hell up."

She opened her eyes. Instead of an anger or agitation, Issei held what looked like a smug smirk on his face, but there was an impression of kindness in his expression.

"I don't wanna fuckinz' hear that from the one who turned my daily life into the most annoying joy and happiness I've ever had. What did I even say a few months ago about being human? Were you seriously not listening that day? What a shithead."

Despite his seemingly harsh comments, there was no sharp tone in his voice. Marie stared at him silently with a distant gaze. There was a deep blush present on her face.

"Issei…"

Her posture loosened a bit, causing the jacket covering her body to slump just a bit. But it was at that moment that Issei accidentally looked down.

 _ **Whip!**_

Issei's head shot back to the direction in front of him. His eyes were opened wide and his expression implied that he was currently having an existential crisis.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

She looked off in the direction that he did, but she saw nothing.

"...God…"

Marie turned back to look at Issei. —There was a strong redness on his face.

"...I can see everything…."

"Hm?"

Marie's gaze moved down instinctively.

…..

She was "open" and "exposed".

"KYAAAAAAH!"

"AAAAH!"

For the first time in his life, Issei was jumpscared by the loudest screech from any person he had ever heard.

* * *

 **[—]**

"That was so cool! First you hit him with this! Then you hit him with that! And then he went down like boom!"

Marie made different movements mimicking martial arts as she walked alongside of Issei. They were heading home after Issei had a Jiu Jitsu class he tried out for. He was easily accepted into the dojo. At this current point in time he was registered in two dojos, had one private Tai Chi Sensei, and studied Taekwondo on his own. He wonders if it will ever overwhelm him. Probably not. He is almost already a Dan rank in Judo anyway. So soon he'll have essentially "mastered" that. You can also count him training in swordsmanship thanks to Marie.

(—!)

Issei stopped in his tracks. Marie stopped beside him.

"What's wrong?"

He felt something. They were already in the neighborhoods by this point, so it was one of the houses next to them. The one ahead on the right side. There was an odd presence emanating from it. A familiar one as well. It didn't feel hostile, but he had to investigate.

"Come on."

They stepped towards the house on their right with Issei's command. They stood in front of the yard. He stepped forward.

"Wait here."

"No, I'll come with you."

"No, you can't. You're unarmed. If anything is in there you could get hurt. Just stay here and keep an eye out. If anything happens just run or call out for me. I'll come no matter what, alright? Just stay here."

"...But.."

Issei put two fingers up.

"2 minutes. If I'm not back in 2 minutes, look for me inside. Got it?"

"...Alright."

She nodded meekly. Truthfully, he wished he didn't have to give her that compromise, but he knows his partner well enough to understand that if he didn't she would have ran in after one minute.

He walked up to the front door of the house. He closed his eyes and listened closely.

…..

Nothing. Not even a TV. It seemed as if they weren't home.

 _ **Dakun**_..

But the door was unlocked. He opened it slowly. His head poked in to see a dim light from one room on the right. Most likely the living room.

 _ **Sniff, sniff**_...

He smelled something familiar. Blood. But not an obscene amount like that of a heinous crime. Only a moderate amount. Like the murder of one person, at most.

 ** _Creak_** …

He stepped in. He slowly close the door as to not let any obvious light from outside penetrate inside. He walked towards the entrance of the living room silently and peered his head in.

The room was dimly lit by a lamp. He couldn't see over the couches, but he knew there was something there. Because there was an odd smoke or steam being released onto the floor below it. He walked in slowly. No one was around. Not until he walked around to the front of the sofa.

On his left, there was a dead lying on the couch. He wasn't brutally murdered, but there seemed to be a hole in his stomach. He was stabbed? No, he was impaled. The hole went straight through him. Other than that, there were no other wounds. It implied that he was killed quickly.

But then there was the man on the coffee table. He wasn't just any man. He was releasing some sort of smoke or steam from his body all throughout the floor.

—That's because he was encased in some crystallized structure.

(—!)

The man was encased in some crystal like structure. It didn't have a definite shape and simply held his entire body in it. Ice? That would certainly explain the odd smoke coming off the crystal. The only thing that was odd was that the ice wasn't colored. That's why it looked more like a crystal. It was completely clear and devoid of color. It didn't give off the feeling of being cold either. Judging from Ddraig's previous descriptions, this was no regular ice magic.

"Hm?"

Issei noticed something odd about the man. When he looked closely, there was something odd on his arm that resembled chains.

[A Sacred Gear. The "Judgement chains". Amongst those that are not Longinus, it is a Mid-to-High level Gear. Not bad. Not bad at all.]

Ddraig suddenly explained. It was a Sacred Gear. Issei looked around the living room. There was a bible on the coffee table beside the frozen man. In one of corner of the room there were light swords and guns.

 _'They were cultists!...'_

That's right. They were dead cult members. Judging by the fact that they are in a normal residence, this must mean they were brainwash victims. As Issei thought, they were hiding in plain sight.

"..."

Issei scratched his head at the details. They were brainwashed cult members. Both men were dead. One of them was encased in some odd ice. The one who had a Sacred Gear was the one encased. Meanwhile, the other man was just left there. But why?

Issei rubbed his chin curiously.

 _'He's….being preserved?..'_

That was the best guess he had. But why would the man need to be "preserved"? He was already dead. Sure, maybe he had a great Sacred Gear, but what was the point if he was already dead?

But the last and most important question: Who did this?

 _ **Fwip!**_

"..?!"

Issei whipped his head around to the loveseat behind him, next to the fireplace and lamp. The place where the lamp was letting off a dim light. Sitting in that loveseat was a familiar looking figure with a red suit.

 **[Boost!]**

Issei jumped back and readied himself. It was the Angel from months ago. The Angel sat in the loveseat calmly, despite appearing out of thin air. He sat with his legs crossed and flipped something in his hand. It was a playing card. The Angel flicked his wrist.

 _ **Fwip!**_

The card suddenly landed on top of the crystal structure the man was encased in. Just like the last card Issei received that time before, this one had an odd feeling to it. The card shined a small light and letters appeared on it. They quickly rearranged into Japanese Kanji.

( _He's mine_.)

Issei's gaze shifted back to the Angel, but he was gone. Left in his place was a long cane. It was left standing up perfectly on its own.

"... _ **Gulp**_.."

Issei nodded his head in acknowledgment.

—This place was "his". It was his territory now. The bodies no longer had anything to do with Issei, now that they were dead. And more than that, Issei's instincts warned him to avoid conflict with the Angel, unless he wanted to be killed.

 _ **Tap, tap, tap!**_

Outside of the house, Marie's foot was tapping on the ground incessantly. She was biting her thumb with a worried expression. It was only seconds from being two minutes. Just as she was about to move...

 _ **Dakun**_.

Issei stepped out from the house and quickly walked back over to Marie.

"What was it?"

"Nothing."

"Eh?"

He slipped past Marie and continued forward. She quickly caught up to him.

"No one was home."

"...Really?"

"Yeah."

Marie looked back to house silently and nodded her head.

"...Okay."

Even if her faith in God was ever tested, there was no one who could say that her faith in her partner was doubted.

* * *

 **[—]**

"...I can't believe I'm letting you drag me into doing this shit…"

Issei grimaced as held onto both sides of Marie's blushing face. They were sitting together on his bed, still in their pajamas.

—The backstory is that, just a few days ago, Issei inexplicably "earned the right" to kiss Marie. He wasn't sure what that meant, when she announced it in the middle of dinner with everyone, but either way, it caused him trouble.

In the end, Issei ignored it and thought nothing of it. Ever since that day, Marie had been practically pestering him about subjects related to kissing. Whenever she would read a book, it would be about kissing techniques. Whenever she watched a show or a movie, she would watch ones with kissing scenes in them. Whenever they passed by a couple who was kissing, she pointed them out and halted their patrols to witness it. Whenever Issei would ask how her day was, she would always find a way to start it out with something about lips, lipstick, kissing, lip balm, etc. At some point, she would just wake up and tell Issei she had a dream about kissing someone.

At that point, Issei was practically infuriated. He doesn't know why, but hearing about a dream where she kissed someone happened to be the last straw in setting him off. Possibly because it disgusted him.

—And now, they were both about to "practice" kissing each other.

"...Are you sure this is alright?..."

Issei asked Marie with uncertainty. Marie nodded in confirmation.

"Yes…."

"...You wouldn't rather have practiced it with someone else?"

"Practi—? Oh!... Um…"

She shook her head. Issei worried about what she was about to say with a confused face before. He gave a heavy sigh.

"...Okay…. In that case…"

Issei brought his face in a bit closer.

"...Excuse me…"

And their lips touched.

 _ **Chu**_..

….

Issei felt the same sensation he had felt once before. A soft, almost pillowy, smooth texture. He felt an odd sense of satisfaction from the contact, as if he was accomplishing something grand. It compelled him to continue for what felt like minutes. But the longer it drew on, the more Issei felt like he had to move in further.

Until finally, he slid his tongue out of his mouth.

"Mn! Wa—!"

Issei's tongue slid into Marie's mouth and touched the inside of her cheeks. His tongue slid on top of her own. They were french kissing.

 _ **Grip!**_

But he was suddenly pushed away. A light trail of saliva parted with their lips.

"Huh? What, what?"

"T-T-Tongue—!"

Marie buried her entire blood-red colored head into the pillow, with her bottom left hanging up in the air. It sounded like she was yelling against the fabric of the pillow, since she was releasing muffled sounds .Though, Issei, frankly, had no idea what she was saying.

"Ah, sorry. I...don't know why I did that…. I thought that would be okay.."

( _S-S-S-Suddenly doing t-that! M-M-M-My heart! I n-n-n-n-n-need to prepare my heart!_ )

"Uh huh….. Right..."

* * *

 **[—]**

[Happy birthdaaaay!]

 _ **Pop, pop, pop!**_

The group of people popped their confetti poppers as they cheered in unison.

—The Aikawa residents were gathered at a table sorted with an ensemble of food. It was inside of Issei's sensei's (Kiritsugu) dojo. Almost the entire dojo's classes were gathered at separate tables. Narutobi and Tsubomi's families were also gathered. They were all currently celebrating Issei's birthday.

Why in the dojo? Because Kiritsugu insisted. Why are so many people gathered? Because Kiritsugu is too proud of his best student. Why is Kiritsugu cheering while crying at the same time? Well:

"Ahahahaha! To believe that my best student is reaching his older teenage years already! Ahahahaha! I am truly proud as a master!"

"Kiritsugu-san, you are crying again!"

"Ahahahaha! Of course I am! My 14 year old disciple has surpassed me in almost every way! Even though I am teaching him, he has already surpassed me and will surely gain his Dan ranking in no time! Hahahahahaha!"

"Satoshi, maybe you should take his drink away?"

"No, no. Leave him this way. It will be better for him."

* * *

 _ **The one who suffers.**_

* * *

 **-I love you-**

—Hyoudou Issei, Age 14. Marie, Age 16. 1 year since Marie became a resident of the Aikawa household. 2 and a half years since Issei and Marie's first meeting.

(10:30 AM.)

"Alright, next store."

"Yaaay! Next store!"

Maki cheered as she, Issei, and Marie exited a store.

—It was a cloudy morning.

The three of them were currently on a shopping run for Satoshi's birthday. They had just finished buying all of the decorations. Now, what was next was for Issei to go into the next store alone and come out with the wrapped presents to take back home. It was great that the store could gift wrap certain items purchased within. Other items that couldn't be wrapped would just be placed in a black bag to conceal them. Why was he going alone? Well, unfortunately, Maki has a big mouth and can't keep secrets very well.

The trio were walking beside each other through the mall plaza, with Maki skipping in front of them by just a couple steps.

"Hey."

Issei glanced to Marie who had called him out.

"Are you okay?"

She was looking at him with a worried expression.

That's right. Just before Issei and Maki's birthdays, it was the anniversary of the Hyoudou's deaths. That day, Issei had visited the grave with his family. He was the one who stayed behind the longest. Marie had asked him permission to give a prayer. He agreed. They spent a few minutes there together. After that, they returned home and prepared for Maki's birthday.

Issei looked towards Maki in front of him. He smiled sweetly.

"Yeah... I'm alright... Besides, Oyaji— er, my pops always liked rainy days better anyway."

Marie nodded with a satisfied smile. The group then stopped in front of a certain store.

"Alright. Maki, wait out here with Marie. I'll be back real quick."

"Haaaaaaaai!"

Issei stepped into the store as Maki and Marie waited patiently outside for him. There was a short silence before the girls suddenly became serious.

"So what is your progress, Maki-chan?"

Maki smirked confidently.

"Hm, Hm~ Nii-Nii has already promised to marry me when we get older~"

"Pfft!"

Marie covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, causing Maki to puff her cheeks angrily.

"What!? He said it!"

"Oh, Maki-chan~ Sweet, sweet Maki-chan."

"Moou! Fine then! What about your progress, Onee-chan!"

"Hm, Hm, Hm~"

Marie laughed and and gave Maki a confident smirk. She puffed her chest up with pride.

"We have already kissed, twice!"

It was actually three times.

"Wha—?!"

Maki jumped back in shock.

"N-No! That's impossible!"

Marie smiled fiercely at Maki. Maki fell to her knees in distress.

"No…! This can't be..! Mother…. Mature girls…are just too strong..!"

Marie's smile slowly faded as she felt a gaze locked onto her. She looked around the plaza suspiciously.

"What's wrong, Onee-chan?"

Marie kept looking around, until her eyes landed on a man across the plaza. A man in a coat. He seemed familiar. But the thing around his neck was what caught her eye.

—A bone cross.

"Maki-chan. Go inside and find Issei. I'll be back soon."

"What? Where are you going?"

"Just find Issei!"

"Wha—?! Onee-chan!"

Marie took chase.

She began to discreetly follow the man. The man walked at an odd pace, as if he didn't know he was being followed, but was still nervous about something. Marie followed the man as he exited the plaza. She hesitated on whether she should follow him farther or not. She was armed. She had her sword wrapped in a white sheathe on her back. She always carried it around when she was with Maki, just in case something happened, despite the weird looks it garnered.

 _'He's going somewhere unpopulated?'_

Marie took note of his path and realized that fact. She narrowed her eyes. There was no one else with him. He was all alone.

 _'Okay!'_

She nodded her head firmly as she continued following. If she ended up being led somewhere too conspicuous, she'll stop following. If other people ended up meeting with him, she'll stop. If an ambush takes place with his allies, she won't fight, she'll flee. Even if she knows she can win. She would rather not take the chance.

—She was much too happy with her life now. She didn't want to die.

Then, suddenly, the man started running.

 _'Wha_ — _?! He's running!? Should I stop here? No ,wait!'_

The man was running after someone else. Someone who was running away from him. A blonde man.

 _'He's chasing someone!'_

Marie did not hesitate in chasing after them. The man who was being chased ran straight into the familiar forest while bringing something out of his pocket. The man chasing him followed him straight in without hesitation and pulled something out as well. Marie jumped and took to the treeline to follow them both.

 _'He's losing him.'_

The man who was being chased lost his pursuer. The pursuer came to a stop and frantically looked around for the man, but could not find him. Seeing her oppurtunity, Marie jumped from the treeline and landed behind him.

"That's far enough."

The man froze.

"That voice…. Hohohoho…. How unfortunate. That really is bad luck."

The man turned and pulled off the scarf off of his face.

"You!"

It was the last remaining leader of the 'Japanese Genesis division'.

"Heh.. It has been many months since last we met, hasn't it? Where is your partner? Was there a falling out? Ah, perhaps not. I assume you might have been just with him. To believe that we have met just by mere chance, how unfortunate indeed."

"I did not realize that the leader himself would handle the dirty work as well."

"Hmph. Well, thanks to that partner of yours _consuming_ almost half of all our forces, we were unfortunately underhanded in terms of experienced members. I had to take a few matters into my own hands. That man I was pursuing, he is quite important for our next operation, you see. We do want to recreate that little incident that happened in France, after all."

Marie widened her eyes in shock.

"The bombing!"

"Yes, that's right. That man is an important piece to that. So I'm afraid I can't have you interfering with my pursuit of him. I will surely find you after this."

The leader smirked. Marie unsheathed her sword and pointed it at him.

"Heathen. As the Blade of Rouen, I shall cut you down from where you stand! In the name of the Lord, I shall deliver you judgment!"

"Hm... Hm, Hm, Hm…"

For some unknown reason, the leader began to laugh in amusement.

"Hm, Hm..! Hahahahahahaha!"

Marie eyed the environment suspiciously. No one was coming to his aid. He was truly alone. Yet he laughed.

"Ah, ah, truly unfortunate. To believe that I am alone right now. It is terrible. It seems I have no choice then. I'll tell you something, little girl. Did you know, that as a leader, I am a complete failure?"

The man took off his fedora and let it fall to the ground. He tossed aside the light gun he had hidden behind his back, presumably the one he pulled out while chasing the man, and reached into his back pocket to take something else out.

"That's right, you may find it hard to believe, but it's true. I am a failure of a leader. I am much too impulsive and 'uncalculated' compared to my partner from the past. He was more cautious. I tend to be more aggressive, despite giving off the impression of being the same as him. It's precisely the reason he wore those seals around his body to conceal his presence despite not truly requiring it. He was just that cautious. The fact that he was the one that ended up dying, how unfortunate."

The leader brought a jewel. A small purple jewel that was shaped like an egg. He crushed it in his hand, turning the jewel into nothing but shards.

"This was something that was meant to be saved for the [Judgment Chain] user, but it seems he is no longer within our grasp. Besides, once we obtain that man, we will be able to complete the process necessary for our little operation. This will no longer be needed. Ah, but, truthfully? I'm just doing this because I am infuriated with your existence. I simply want to kill you."

At that moment, the broken shards of the jewel began to shine brightly. Then, something with a long odd shape began to coil around the man's hand.

"The only reason any of this will be possible will be because of 'allies' in that shadowy organization. They were the ones who provided us with this item in them first place, so that we could enhance the gear user back in France. Ah, but just like him, I am human. So, of course, after using this, I will not have long to live. But that is fine. We'll be able to conduct this operation in a very short amount of time. And doing this was self fulfilment anyway. —I told you I was a bad leader, didn't I?"

"You—! As we thought, you did have someone on the outside assisting you with that attack! Something bigger..!"

"Hahahaha! That's right. So much bigger than Genesis. Though, Genesis is nothing much at this point. Did you know? The main sect in the Ukraine has already been dismantled. We, in Japan, are all that is left. That is why this is our last ditch effort. Before you bastards can deliver us judgement, we shall deliver our judgement unto you."

The black form that coiled around his hand began to stretch and move. It began sliding up his arm.

"..W-What is that?"

The leader's smile then stretched into one of pure madness. Despite being purely human, he began to release what looked like a pitch black aura around his body.

"This is a gift from our assistance on the outside.… Would you like to know their name? "

The black form coiled around his neck and glowed in a dark purple light.

—Its form resembled that of a snake.

 _ **"Khaos Brigade."**_

* * *

.

.

.

.

* * *

"Man, fuck this line."

"Nii-Nii!"

"Hm?"

Issei turned to see Maki behind him in the store.

"Hey, Maki! What are you doing here, you're not supposed to see his stuff!"

His expression immediately shifted when he didn't see Marie.

"Where's Marie?"

"She ran off somewhere! She just told me to come find you!"

 **[—?!]**

Issei took out his phone and handed it to Maki.

"Maki, don't leave the store. Stay here and call Satoshi to pick you up. Wait till he gets here. I'll get back with Marie later. Even if we don't come back before the morning, don't come looking for us. We'll be okay. I love you."

He kissed Maki on the forehead and ran off.

"Wait Nii-Nii!"

He ran out from the store and looked around frantically.

 _'Where is she?! Can you sense her, Ddraig?!'_

[Let me focus. Try clearing your mind….. Hmm…. Yes. She is directly West of here.]

Issei bolted out from the plaza and immediately headed west.

 _'Directly west, could she be in "that place" like usual?'_

[Perhaps so. She may have lured an enemy into that place herself. Or they may have lured her. It is the closest and most optimal place for confrontation.]

Issei caught view of the forest as he boosted his speed. He didn't care to listen to the honking cars or annoyed people he whipped past.

[—What?! Partner! There is something there with her!... No, this cannot be. This is not something that is likely. Even so, it is much too small... Then, a small fragment?]

 _'What are you talking about, Ddraig?!'_

[Go into the forest, partner. That is all you must do for now.]

Issei jumped straight into the forest with no regard or being seen. He ran straight through until he saw a small explosion of light.

 _ **Poooom!**_

He slid to a stop.

 _'What?! Ddraig! That's not the direction you directed me to!'_

[That isn't the direction that anything was located in. Something was just relocated to that place…. In other words, something was just sent there. —It is her signature.]

Issei shot straight to his left where the explosion had originated from. He could feel someone getting further away. Slowly, there was a presence that was beginning to fade off into the distance. But he didn't care. Because that wasn't where she was at. He continued running until he heard the sound of a gentle stream. The river. He looked around the area.

[...To your left.]

Issei looked to the left. In the distance, across the river, he could see a large tree. There were other trees blocking his view of it, but it was big enough to see. Much larger than the other trees. He and Marie had been there before. They talked about its size being comparable to the width of a truck.

[Partner..]

—He could see a blood trail on one side of the tree.

 _ **Pan!**_

Issei's body launched itself forward with ferocity he had never shown before. He easily landed on the other side of the river and was almost halfway to the large tree. He ran towards it with no hesitation. When he finally caught view of it—

"...You...came…"

.

.

.

—Marie was lying up against it with a blotch of blood around her stomach. Blood was leaking from the sides of her mouth.

She smiled sweetly at him.

"...I...called...for you…."

 _ **Tear!**_

Issei immediately removed his jacket and tore off a piece of his shirt. Despite the scene, his expression was uncharacteristically calm.

"It's alright. It isn't that old of a wound. You haven't lost too much blood yet. Ddraig. What's my top running speed?"

[—Partner.]

Issei wrapped the shirt piece around her stomach and put his jacket up against it.

"Hold it here."

"..Is..sei…"

[—Partner.]

Issei spawned some fire on his hand, continuing to ignore anything else. He decreased the size until it was only around two of his fingers. He then removed the jacket from her belly.

"I'm going to cauterize it. It's gonna hurt a bit, but at least it will stop the bleeding."

[—Partner. Look at the wound.]

"Bear with me, Marie. We'll be home soon."

As he was going to burn the wound, Marie grabbed ahold of his hand and pulled it up towards her face.

She gently placed it under her cheek, as if trying to feel his warmth...

—But Issei pulled it away.

"Not now, Marie. When we get home."

Silent tears fell from Marie's eyes.

Issei calmly brought his fingers towards the wound. Marie lifted her arm and pulled at something in her chest until it snapped. Issei heard the snapping sound and looked up. When he did, Marie lifted his hand and held it up near her chest. She brought something she held in her hand and laid it into his palm. She squeezed his hand tightly, pressing the item into his palm.

Tears freely began to run down her face.

"...Is..sei….. I…."

Issei held her hand back tightly.

"It's alright. You can tell me when we get home."

He went back to tend the wound, but Marie shook her head vigorously.

"Pl..ease..! ...Plea..se..!"

She gripped onto his hand as tightly as she could.

[—She is calling out for you. Will you ignore her?]

Issei stopped. He looked back at Marie blankly.

In denial.

"What is it that you want to say, Marie?"

Marie struggled to speak as tears fell from her eyes.

"..I... I…"

Issei leaned in closer.

"What? What is it?"

"I…. I…."

Her hand gripped tightly onto his own. Slowly, the corners of her mouth began to stretch a bit. Her expression changed…..

…..

…..

 _Her expression - was a beautiful, bright, dazzling smile_.

 _ **"..I'm sorry, partner…"**_

—With that, her hand slipped out from Issei's grip, and fell silently onto the ground. What was left in Issei's palm— _was a green jeweled necklace._

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Issei stood up slowly, with his hand still left holding out the necklace.

He lifted his face up towards the dark and grey sky.

….

….

...

"Haha…."

….

….

"Hahaha….. Hahahaha…. Hahahaha!..."

—He laughed.

And he continued to laugh.

Until...

"Hahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahaha! Haaaahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha—!"

 _ **Drip**_.

"—Ah."

A single drop of rain fell onto his cheek, and slowly slid down his face.

 _ **Drip**_ …. _**Drip**_ …

Soon enough, more and more raindrops fell from the sky.

One by one.

Until the rain was falling freely from clouds.

But the pouring made no sound.

There was not a single sound left in the world.

Only the absolute silence.

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— _And the only sound that filled the world - were the powerful lamentations of a broken child._

 _ **"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

The environment around him suddenly started to become distorted. The soil rose from the earth and the trees were ripped from their roots. A green light shimmered out from his levitating body.

The green light formed a pillar that rose high and split the sea of clouds above.

Through the open space in between the split clouds, the sun was exposed, and its light bathed his form.

Through the soft light of the sun, the many faces of that person were shown. As if ascending to the heavens beyond his reach, her very image could be made out in the sunlight above him.

Every expression she made.

One by one.

Every memory.

All together at once.

The people of Nagoya gazed at the light's glory with admiration. A mysterious, beautiful, soft green light that shot into the sky. Yet their minds failed to comprehend — the unimaginable sorrow that was the catalyst for such a light to be.

—The boy's floating form began to take on a new shape.

A soft, red blanket slowly covered his body. His arms. His legs. His torso. His head. Until his entire body was blanketed in a warm shape. His never ending cries continuously echoed into the silent sky. Into the silent world. Never to be heard by anyone but himself. As if the only one who could hear it was the one the cries were directed to.

 _As if the only one who could hear it_ — _was God himself._

 _ **"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

The very last sound that was heard, was an announcement. An announcement released from the form himself. As the final memories of that woman were flashed through his mind, the voice was the last thing heard.

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 _ **[Welsh Dragon, Balance Breaker]**_

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.

The only part of the surrounding area that was left untouched— was the body of a peaceful, slumbering girl.

* * *

.

[ _In other news, an odd phenomenon occurred in a forest in Nagoya. A mysterious green light brightly flashed into the sky and subsequently disappeared in a matter of seconds. Investigators have concluded that this was the result of multiple lightning strikes setting a fire to the forest, considering the damage, but as you can imagine, public opinion is still skeptical. Other experts are calling it a phenomenon resembling an aurora, but so far, there is not much more that we know. At the very least, there have been no reported casualties or injuries as of this moment._ ]

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* * *

(7:12 AM)

 _20 hours since the complete Balance Breaker incident._

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[Partner.]

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[You have to move, partner.]

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[They are still out there.]

…

 _ **Clang**_ …

The sound of something heavy. Metallic.

It was armor.

 _ **Clang**_ ….

In the middle of an empty field of dirt, there stood one tree. One large tree. Completely unaffected, aside from some scratches, unlike the surroundings.

And lying against it—

 _ **Clang**_...

—Was a red suit of armor, with the body of a sleeping girl in its arms.

[You can feel them, can't you? Every single one of them. You know exactly where they are now. You can sense every single one of them. Do you hear me, partner? There was a promise you made. We have a job to do.]

…..

…..

…..

[Take her.]

 _ **Clang**_..

The red form slowly stood on its feet with the body in its arms.

 _ **Foom!**_

Large wings extended from its back. As if all of its movements were completely on natural instinct, it bent downward slightly, and shot power from the jetpack on his back.

 **[Jet.]**

With one burst, it shot off into the sky.

 _ **Poom!**_

The form silently flew through the foggy sky. It flew as if it needed no direction. It knew exactly where to go.

 _ **Foom**_.

It halted gently. Its form slowly lowered down from the sky. Despite not being visible, the form landed perfectly onto the ground with care.

—What stood in front of it was a large golden cross. And below the cross, rested 13 small graves. Graves of children.

 _ **Clang**_ …

It slowly lowered to its knees, and carefully placed the body of the girl in front of the graves. Its hands caressed the hair on her forehead. In its right claw, there was a golden necklace with a green jewel, and a sheathed blade.

[We have a job to do.]

The form sat silently for a few minutes. Then, it slowly stood.

 _ **Clang**_ …

It brought an item up from its palm. It placed the item around its neck. As if on instinct, the armor deformed and reformed on the placement of the necklace. The necklace softly fell over his clothing and the armor reformed above it.

[Let's go, partner.]

 _ **Foom!**_

Its wings extended, and it flew off into the sky.

 _ **Foom!**_

….

 _ **Fwip!**_

Standing on the rooftop of the academy, there was a tall red figure. A magician. In the hands behind his back, a playing card flipped in his fingers.

"— _Jack of hearts_."

* * *

 **-Genesis-**

 _ **SHIIIINN!**_

A bright light flashed from a golden, spinning circle. A magic circle. There was a man on his knees beside it. He was frantically holding it together while sweat ran down his forehead.

 _ **DOON!**_

He froze. Just 5 meters away from him, something heavy landed. A tall, dark, menacing form. When the dust cleared, the first color he saw was—

"...Red…"

[That is it, partner. The odd pulsing of energy is emanating from magic circles like these. There are 5 of them in total. They are placed in the proper distances to form the shape of a cross. The abandoned church we saw before landing must be the center point and the last stronghold for the cult. Destroy it.]

 _ **Clang**_.

The form walked forward. The man squealed in fear. Suddenly, the light from the circle began flashing brighter.

[Partner! That pulsing light! It is arming itself to detonate this entire area! Judging from this power, It will eliminate this small southern region. Most likely a blast radius of 2 Kilometers. Destroying them one by one will decrease the blast radius. But the only way to stop anything from happening is to destroy them all completely.]

The form stopped in front of the man. He shrieked in terror at the imposing form.

"Hiiiiiiiii! P-P-Please don't kill me! They have my family! I have to do this! I don't want to do this! But if I don't, they'll kill my son! Please! Have mercy!"

The man pleaded for his life. His hooded figure was revealed.

He was a familiar blond American man.

…..

…..

…..

[Partner, if it continues, then his son will most likely die as well. The remaining members of the cult are certainly gathered in that church for a suicide bombing. That is their last gathering. If they truly have his son, then he will die regardless. At this point, you only have minutes left.]

….

The form raised its arm into the air.

"No, please! I don't want to die!"

[He is not stopping the ritual. —Do not stop yourself.]

"NOOOOOOOOOO—!"

 _ **DOOON!**_

The ground broke apart as the man's head was smashed firmly into it. He was killed in an instant.

The form rose back up and took to the sky.

 _ **Foom!**_

The form gazed to the ground below. There was a small abandoned church below with a magic circle pulsing from under it. Separate from it, there were 3 other magic circles properly distanced from it. It create the shape of a cross. The shape was disrupted as the bottom half faded away. There were only 4 left.

[Do it.]

The form aimed both of its arms towards the magic circles across from each other.

 _ **Boooooooom!**_

And shot at both of them. Their lights slowly faded. There were two left. It aimed one of its arms towards the last one separate from the church.

It shot it and destroyed it in an instant. The last one was being maintained inside of the church.

[Let us finally complete this mission, partner.]

The form descended to the church below.

—Inside of the church, there were many people in robes gathered together. Their last moments. Praying. Sitting at the altar, there was a man maintaining the magic circle below himself. The one who stood above him with his arms extended outward was the last leader of the cult. There was blood dripping from his ears and his body was pale. But he continued to give his prayer at the altar.

 _ **Ton!**_

The doors to the church flew open as all sound subsequently faded from the world.

The light of the sun cast a great shadow of the form standing at the entrance. Its massive shadow cast itself over the entire interior of the church.

The last thing that any of them ever saw—

— _was the silhouette of a Red Dragon_.

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 _ **"...Hmmm~"**_

The soft humming of a lullaby. It was a Christian lullaby. A brown haired boy slept peacefully on the lap of a red haired girl. The girl gently caressed the hair on his head as she continued humming.

The sound of soft humming, and the soft light from the sun, they both drowned out the reality that had existed previously before.

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[Partner.]

—The red form stood still in the middle of a red church.

Everything that was considered part of the floor, and the walls to the sides, were all painted with a beautiful, glistening red.

[Let us go, partner.]

The form panned its head slowly across the room. Its gaze landed on one of the aisles left of it.

There were many robes laid out on the floor with lumps under them. Out from under one of them, there were shoes sticking out.

Shoes that were a few sizes too small to be similar to the others.

Shoes that were too familiar to be like the others.

— _Blue shoes._

[There is nothing for us here, partner. Let us go.]

….

….

….

The form slowly turned itself back to the entrance, and disappeared from the church into the light of the sun.

* * *

 **-Home-**

The Aikawa family was gathered in the living room, sleeping against each others shoulders. They had fallen asleep waiting for the return of their last two residents.

 _ **Dakun**_.

The door to the entrance had opened and the father of the family had woken up at the sound.

"..Issei-kun? Marie?"

He asked as he rubbed his eyes. The rest of the family began to stir in their sleep.

Yet he received no response. Instead, he saw a familiar form slip casually by the door frame.

"Issei-kun!"

He lifted himself from the couch and hurried to the door frame. His family members soon followed after waking.

"Ise-kun!"

"Nii-Nii!"

They walked out and stopped in front of the staircase. The boy was already halfway up. He held a sheathed item in his right hand. One that belonged to Marie.

"Issei-kun."

The boy stopped.

"Where's Marie?"

There was no response.

….

...

He continued his way up.

"Nii-Nii—"

Just as Maki was about to step forward, she was halted by her father.

"Papa?"

His gaze was set at the top of the staircase that the boy had disappeared from.

"...Don't go near it…"

"...W-Why?.."

He shook his head.

"I...don't know…"

"... _It_?..."

"..."

The family's gazes remained there silently.

 _ **Dakun**_.

—The door closed behind the boy. His body slowly laid itself down on the bed and turned on its side. The fetal position.

….

….

 _《It's started.》 《Looks like it's started.》_

….

….

 _'...Ddraig…. Those voices….'_

[They are not real, partner. They are hallucinations. You could not have unlocked the Juggernaut Drive without Balance Breaker. Once you had unlocked it, the risk of it appearing was low because of the transformation. The voices themselves only make themselves apparent when the transformation of the Drive is taking place. What you hear now is not reality. They are simply nothing more than an extension of your madness.]

 _Madness._

….

….

….

….

 _'..I can still hear her voice now…'_

….

….

[I'm afraid, that is also…]

….

….

 _'Madness…..is no longer something I fear….'_

* * *

The boy finally shut his eyes.

A soft hand placed itself over his hair.

And soft lips touched his head.

 _ **"Good night, partner."**_

* * *

 **Prologue End**

* * *

 **This story will now go into cannon after this. This is the end of the prologue.**

 **When I said he would continue down a darker path, I didn't specify for how long. Once the story reaches cannon tone will certainly become much lighter compared to the prologue just because of the nature of DxD cannon. Of course there will still be shrouds of darkness, but compared to the prologue it will be much more balanced out. I'm not trying to keep you reading the story though, just letting you know that I would never do something just for the sake of doing it. Same with Issei's suffering. I'm not making him suffer just to make him suffer. I'm doing it so that in the future or as a result of the events, he may become a different person. Maybe even a better person. But for now, the effects of those events are only somewhat reflected. It will become more obvious during the Cannon timeline.**

 **The effect and importance that Marie has in Issei's character is unimaginable. This chapter was not meant as a cheap way of getting the audience attached to a character only to eliminate them for the sake of tragedy or the plot. The symbolism, themes, and ideals presented in Issei are so unbelievably tied to Marie's existence. She represents more in Issei than can be explained. This entire chapter was the highlight of Issei's evolution into a different person and being in general. As I said last chapter, one of the greatest themes of this story is transformation. The effect on Issei's character by Marie is something I can only show you, not tell you. You will have to see in the coming chapters.**

 **This chapter was the one I had been waiting to write ever since I started this story. I didn't plan all of it this well and I didn't expect it to turn out so magnificently. Truly, I am proud of it. It is a chapter which simply holds too much weight.**

 **The last thing I want to say is that the story of cannon will have much different turns as a result of the completely different character is. It isn't going to be as close to cannon as my other stories. Because this Issei is truly different and his actions will have an effect on the world around him.**

 **Please tell me your thoughts. I don't want to leave you with questions on which part you thought about because I don't want to ruin the flow, but I am more likely to get detailed reviews if I do. Therefore.**

 **What did you think about Marie? How did you feel about her? What is the Magician's odd plot? What do you think of Issei? How do you feel about him? Was there any emotion you felt in this chapter? Genesis is no more, but their 'allies' are still out there, aren't they? What do you think will happen in the future?**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**


	11. Chapter 11: Home

**Cannon. We've finally reached it. A quick little transition into cannon will play at the beginning, and then finally, we'll be there baby. You'll be able to tell when we've gotten to cannon by the labeling of the transitions.**

 **Sorry that the stories are being updated out of order. I'll get to Red Dragon Of Stupidity after this. I just had an uncontrollable burst of inspiration to get this one out, so here. It's very long.**

 **The Lone Dragon Emperor will now begin his long journey into the world of the supernatural properly. No more hiding in the shadows. The world will know of his existence, for the most part.**

 **Get yourselves ready. This is certainly one of the best chapters of this story, perhaps the best chapter right beside last chapter with Marie. This chapter is a great ensemble of emotions and tones. A true masterpiece among chapters of my stories.**

 **If you are at all invested with this story then I have to warn you, you will most certainly cry.**

* * *

 **-SCENE-**

Hyoudou Issei, age 14 (15 in 3 weeks). Two and a half weeks since the destruction of Genesis. Two and a half weeks since the death of Marie Bellerose.

 _ **Clang**_ …

"How is it, Maki-chan?"

"...Mm... It's good, Mama.."

The Aikawa household. It was a quiet day inside. The only sounds that were present were the light clanging of utensils and some meager exchanges between family members. For the most part, there wasn't any noise. Most of the family members ate silently.

It was not always like this. It did used to be a more lively household. It did used to have a lighter atmosphere. That was when there was a certain presence that kept the mood bright.

Maki used to believe that she was just as easily capable of accomplishing such a thing, it was her specialty. Yet somehow, there did not seem to be a substantial amount of light in the home.

"...Ise-kun."

Akane called to one of the two children across the table from them, sitting beside Maki. The one who was remaining completely still. The one who would only gaze down at his dinner with dead, empty, hollow eyes. Hyoudou Issei.

"...You will be entering High school soon….. Have you decided which one to attend?..."

It was summer time. Issei's last term of school had ended. His last term as a junior high student. He would now be entering his first year as a high school student.

He did not respond to his aunt's question.

"...Would you at least attend the opening ceremony for whichever one you enter?..."

The reason she asked this was because Issei did not attend his own graduation from junior high. In fact, he did not attend his last two weeks. He did not leave his home for those two weeks. Satoshi ended up having to do receive Issei's certificate from the school himself. He has gotten visits from his friends, Narutobi and Tsubomi, but he refused to see them.

Again, he did not respond to his aunt's question.

"...You should at least eat, sweetheart…."

The food on his plate was untouched. They weren't sure when was the last time they had seen him eat. It worried them dearly. If only they had known the truth, that Issei hadn't eaten food in 3 days, they would be infinitely more concerned. At the very least, Issei's body was one that did not seem to be affected at all, despite this fact. Almost as if his body's natural processes were being influenced by something they didn't know of.

He remained silent, not answering his aunt's question once again. However—

 _ **Rrr**_ …

With a small screech of his chair, he stood from his seat and walked away from the dinner table. Akane sighed. Issei stepped out from the kitchen, passed the living area, and stepped out into the hall near the entrance of the house. He began walking up the staircase without hesitation. He did not realize that someone had followed him and was now standing at the bottom of the staircase.

"Issei-kun."

He stopped. The voice of his uncle.

"..I want you to be honest, Issei-kun."

He stood completely still at the middle of the staircase. Satoshi asked grimly.

"...Marie-chan. She never 'returned home', did she?..."

It went dead silent. Not a single sound made throughout the house. Not even the sound of breathing. A deafening silence that only made the subtle screeching in their ears seem even louder and more noticeable than ever before.

….

Issei continued his trek upstairs without making a sound. Unfortunately, that was all the answer Satoshi needed as closed his eyes in grim respect.

"...Papa?.."

He opened his eyes to see his daughter beside him. It seemed like she wanted to head up the stairs. Satoshi sighed and bent down on one knee to look up at her. He held onto her arms gently.

"Maki…. I am…"

He sighed heavily. There was nothing he could do.

"I'm sorry for being a failure of a father…"

"...Papa…"

He pet her head softly.

"I leave it up to you…."

Maki nodded her head sadly. Satoshi released his grip and Maki slowly made her way up the stairs.

—Inside of Hyoudou Issei's room, he was standing at his personal desk with something small in his hands. He looked down at it with his left eye, because his right eye was shut. It was a tick he had developed over a year ago, ever since he had lost his eye. For some reason, it had subconsciously become impossible to hold it open whenever something deeply affected him. Whenever something affected his heart.

 _ **Dakun**_ …

He flinched slightly as the door to his room opened. Maki entered and approached him carefully from behind.

"...Nii-Nii…"

He did not make a sound or movement. Maki could very well see the item he held in his palm. A necklace.

"...I love you, Nii-Nii…"

As per what had become usual, he did not respond. Maki's lip quivered just a bit.

 _ **Slide**_ …

Slowly, Issei felt her arms wrap softly around his waist. She laid her head against his back.

"...I cry about her too, sometimes…"

Issei's right eye twitched, despite being shut.

"...I loved her….. She was nice...and pretty….and kind….and smart….and reliable….. I loved my onee-san.."

Issei's right hand gripped onto his desk, while his left hand tightened its hold on the necklace.

"...we were friends….and rivals….and _partners_ …. Because we both took care of you…."

Issei's grip on his desk increased substantially at the sound of the word that tortured him.

"...We were family…... I loved my onee-san…."

Her grip around his waist tightened as he began shaking.

"...And even though she said we were "rivals"….. Even though we were both fighting for Nii-Nii….. Even though I said I wanted to win…."

Maki's body also began shaking as her grip tightened. Soon enough, Issei felt a wet spot form on the back of his shirt.

"...This isn't how I wanted to 'win'!..."

— _ **Crack!**_

Issei's desk cracked under his grip. Droplets of water fell lightly onto the necklace held in his palm.

"..I love you, Nii-Nii!... And I... I wasn't the only one!... That's why—!... Please—!... Please live!... Please—! Please find happiness!... For me!... For us!... For your Mama and Papa!... For that girl!... Please—! Please live!"

 _ **Crack!**_

A piece of his desk broke off into his palm as his legs gradually lost their strength. His body slowly brought itself down to his knees as Maki maintained her grip.

They sat there together on their knees. Weeping silently.

 **-DxD-**

"...Hey, little ones…."

The sound of crickets rang through the night. Issei stood before a certain grave site with a necklace in hand. 13 small graves with a large golden cross ahead of them.

The children from the factory. Only 13 of them. Which means that she was not buried alongside of them. Her body was most likely transported back to France.

[...Partner. We have spoken of it before, haven't we? This conversation, it is one we have had many times.]

Issei's grip on the necklace tightened.

"...Yeah."

[Then you understand. We must go, partner. You have unlocked Balance Breaker. Your family— they are no longer safe. They can no longer be safe. Not so long as you continue to remain with them. That is why— you must go. We must go. We can no longer allow our presence to remain near them. Not anymore. Not with this power. There can be no more hiding with this. They will find you. And that is why you told me once, hadn't you? What was it that you said to me?]

 _("I'd rather they find me alone.")_

"...Yeah. I know…"

[In that case, do you have a certain place in mind?]

Issei squeezed the necklace.

"...Home."

—A small voice called out from behind him.

"Um, hello?"

Issei turned around. A little white haired girl with a basket of flowers in her hands. A student from the Catholic school.

"Who are you, mister?"

She tilted her head innocently. Issei couldn't help but smile just a bit. He pet her head. Then, he simply walked off without a word.

"M-Mister? Where are you going?"

He began to walk off the campus casually, fully capable of eliminating his presence at his current power level.

' _...It looks like good people from the church….are the rare ones….'_

[Ironic, isn't it?]

' _Cruel irony…..but at the very least..'_

He looked back to the grave site before stopping in front of the wall to the campus. The little girl laid the basket down near the graves and prayed.

' _..The children are the only ones you can be sure are good…'_

[And yet, they are the most common of victims.]

—A memory flashed through Issei's mind.

 _("Why Lord? Why must it always be the children?")_

He looked up to the night sky silently.

….

"Yeah…"

He hopped over the 3 meter high wall with little effort. He began his long walk silently towards his home.

[Partner. What do you plan to do once we've left this place?]

He slowly placed the necklace around his neck.

 _("...Please live!")_

Hatred. Grudge. Revenge. Issei had no target for these. The Nightwalker was gone. Zealous was gone. Genesis was gone. He had no sort of direction for pointing any of his possible animosity towards. He had nothing like that left. Nor did he care for it, not anymore. But at the very least he know one thing.

They will come for him one day. Whoever or whatever they may be. They will come. They may even find him by chance.

"...I will.."

So be it. If they will find him, then he will face them. Alone. Just as he should be. But until then, there is a home he must protect. An empty one. One that will only be inhabited by him. His parents home. He will wait for them there. They will come, and he will be ready when they do. But at the very least, until then—

 _("I love you, Nii-Nii.")_

"...live…"

* * *

"That's why, I want to return home and live on my own from now on."

Issei announced it to his family at breakfast the next morning. From the point of entering High school and onward, he plans to return to his hometown of Kuoh, and live alone.

It went without saying, his family was shocked to hear his news. His aunt displaying her shock and concern through her expression. His uncle was the one with more of an expression of calculation over concern. Meanwhile, his cousin—

"What?!"

Maki slammed her hands down on the table as she stood in shock.

"No! No! Nii-Nii can't go! Why would he go?!"

Issei answered her without breaking his gaze. He and Satoshi were looking right into each other's eyes.

"I've already told you why, Maki. My home is where my parents are, in Kuoh. That place is my home. They left that house to me either way. It is my home."

"But—! But—! That was for when Nii-Nii was all grown up! For when he becomes an adult!"

"That's why I'm choosing to be independent now. It is my home. I will take care of it from now on, on my own."

"Nii-Nii lives here! Nii-Nii's home is here! He has to stay!"

"I will not."

Maki's face scrunched up in frustration.

"Then—! Then—! Then I will move with Nii-Nii! I will live there with Nii-Nii as well!"

"No, Maki. If you did that, then it would be pointless. I will go there alone. Just the way it should be."

Tears began to build up at the sides of Maki's eyes.

"No! Don't say that! Nii-Nii is not meant to be alone! Nii-Nii should be with his family! Nii-Nii should be with those who love him! Nii-Nii should stay home! Where he belongs!"

Issei smiled bitterly.

"...That's my point, Maki…"

A tear rolled down her face.

"No! No! No! I will not let Nii-Nii be alone! Never! I won't let you go! No matter what!"

Issei began to feel a pain in his chest.

"Enough, Maki…. Let me talk with Oji-san.."

"I won't! I won't let you! I always will be with Nii-Nii! Because we made a promise!"

"Maki."

"Because we both loved you! Me and that girl! We made that promise to each other! So if one of us can't take care of you, then the other will! That's why—!"

"Enough!"

"..!"

Maki was silenced by his painful shout. Issei held his head down with a shadow cast over his eyes. He never shouted at Maki. Only whenever it was something that concerned her safety, a detail Satoshi was well aware of. Maki sat back down into her chair with tears falling from her eyes. After a short while of silence, Issei brought his gaze back up to his uncle.

"Oji-san…. I will be going. You understand it, don't you?"

Issei stared deeply into Satoshi's eyes. Satoshi could see the many emotions trapped deep within him. Too many that were too complex for him to possibly ever comprehend, even with his intelligence. Emotions that could only be created through experience. There was no way he could understand. Not without living it. Whatever events that could have possibly transpired in his life to warrant such eyes, he imagined that there things he did not see. How? When? What? Where? He didn't know. It didn't even matter. Because either way, he would still not be able to understand it. Not without living it.

"...Yes, I understand, Issei-kun…"

Maki's eyes widened in fear and Akane's nerves tensed.

"...But if I were to let you go this soon….. No, I'm afraid I cannot."

"Wha—?"

Issei was taken aback by his uncle's answer.

"Why? What do you—"

"As you are now, I cannot let it be."

Issei became confused.

"..As I am?..."

Satoshi looked deep into Issei's eyes. He could feel his gaze reaching to his very soul.

"What will happen to you, once you are alone?"

"Eh?"

Issei's right eye twitched subtly.

 _'What will….happen to me?..'_

Issei envisioned it. Being alone. No one by his side. It felt familiar. Nostalgic almost. Alone in the darkness. Not a single place or person to look to.

An image came into his mind. A well. Being trapped at the bottom of a dark well. He could feel an immense weight holding him down. The only light that peered through was the light at the entrance, much to high to ever reach. Perhaps there was a time when he could reach it. When he could see a certain person waiting up there for him at the entrance, only a short distance away. Yet now, the fall seemed to grow so substantially since then. There didn't seem to be a single person waiting for him out there.

In that dark place. There in the nothingness, what would become of him?

 _("Écaille~!")_

No light around. No escape.

 _("Nii-Nii~!")_

Alone.

….

Issei's body began shivering lightly. Despite fighting against it with all of his will power, he could not stop it.

Even though he knew what he had to do, he could not bear the thought of it. Being alone. Not as he was now. Because he no longer had any strength left.

 _'..."Not as you are now"…..'_

Issei smiled bitterly. Even so—

"It...doesn't matter. Because no matter what, I won't be staying here anymore…"

Satoshi narrowed his eyes with a solemn expression.

"...What will it take for us to get you to stay?"

"Nothing. I won't stay."

Satoshi shook his head.

"You misunderstand. What will it take for you to stay— just a while longer?"

Issei raised a brow in confusion.

"What?"

Satoshi bore his gaze into Issei's eyes once more.

"I said it before. As you are now, I cannot let you go. But I can see it in your eyes. I know I cannot stop you. That's why, at the very least, I want for you to stay until there is a point in which you can finally find an answer to my earlier question."

"...Stay until I find an answer…"

 _("What will happen to you, once you're alone?")_

"Do you understand, Issei-kun? I'm asking you what it would take to keep you here until you're properly capable of taking care of yourself. As you are now, being alone is the last thing that you need."

Issei opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His subconscious was fighting him. He knew the right decision would be to simply leave as soon as he can, but for some reason his inner conflict caused him to hesitate. A deep seeded fear.

[Partner. I am afraid to say it, but now that it has been made apparent, I believe he may be right.]

 _'..What?..'_

[It seems that you are not ready. Your mind is too weak as it is now. Your determination is fickle. You are, in every way that is not physical, too weak. This is not a shocking thing. After what has transpired only less than a month ago, I do not blame you. However, it still seems that you would not be able to withstand the situation of being independent. Not as you are now. I do not know what will happen to you either. Though, if I were to presume, you would most likely fall to madness.]

 _(Madness.)_

…

"...How much longer is a while, Oji-san?"

Maki had a bit of light shine in her eyes. Satoshi placed a hand under his chin.

"..Hmm... One year, I believe."

"What?!"

Issei yelled out in shock. He had expected a much shorter time span.

"Well, if I am being honest with you Issei-kun, then that is around the time I would estimate. I do not want to underestimate you, in fact, for any other person it would take many years to process….whatever it is that you have. However, I believe that the very least amount of time you need for yourself, would be somewhere around a year."

"...A year...that is… No, that's impossible..."

Once again, Maki began to feel fearful. Satoshi held a hand up silently to calm her.

"What would it take to make it possible?"

Issei's right eye twitched harshly as he stared down his uncle with a conflicted expression. Issei turned his head away. He could no longer stand to see his Satoshi's somber, but comforting gaze.

 _'...One year…. Ddraig….we can't do that…..can we?'_

[Mm…. Well….. Perhaps….]

 _'How?... How would we even accomplish it?'_

[...Perhaps….. Perhaps if we were to conceal your presence in a long term sense. Whenever you conceal your presence, it was always deliberate, but perhaps if we were to make it into habit through daily concealment training. If we were to make it possible to have your presence concealed automatically, without the need for conscious thought, then perhaps it would be possible.]

 _'..Concealing my presence every second of every day? Wouldn't that be too difficult?'_

[That is precisely why I say it would be best to do it through habit. If you were to make it a subconscious habit, then perhaps you could walk through anywhere without being noticed, without even having to think for it. But as I said, it would take a great amount of focus training. I don't doubt your skill at all, but it depends on your determination as well. You have the skill, so long as you're determined I wholeheartedly believe it should be possible. The problem is that this is not a long term solution. No matter how strong you are, so long as there exists a being stronger, they can find you. Mayhaps not the weaker ones, but the stronger ones most certainly. So, being here for one year may be possible indeed. Being here for many years, you would surely be found at some point.]

 _'...So it's possible….but, what if something happens by chance? Genesis was by chance….What if one day I'm not around and something happens?'_

[In that case, it would be wisest to take preventive measures. For example, how to prevent the scenario in which you aren't around to protect them. How you would solve that problem?]

 _'I would have to be around them 24/7. Or at least as much as I physically can.'_

[The biggest obstacle to that would be those educational institutes you attend daily, correct?]

 _'Yeah. Baa-san stays home, Maki goes to school, and Oji-san goes to work. They're all split up.'_

[Then what would be the best way to keep them together as much as possible?]

….!

Issei had a thought after a few seconds. He looked up to Satoshi.

"...You'll do something to keep me here?.."

Satoshi nodded calmly while Maki nodded vigorously despite not being asked.

"As much as we can."

"I'll do anything!"

Issei hesitated before speaking.

"...In that case, I'd like to be tutored privately at home from now on. I won't be going to public school this year."

 _'That puts me with Baa-san every day. That's one...'_

Satoshi nodded.

"That's fine. You're academically capable enough for something like that. I believe that you can do that."

 _'...Okay...then…'_

"I also want Maki to be homeschooled from now on as well."

(—!)

That was the request that shocked the parents a bit. Though Maki was completely non hesitant to agree.

"I'll do it! Papa! Let me do it!"

Akane questioned softly.

"..Ise-kun...to ask that…. That is about Maki-chan, not you.…. Don't you think it's a bit much—"

Satoshi placed a hand on Akane's shoulder to ease her. He asked seriously.

"Is that something that's necessary?"

Issei nodded.

"It's fine, Papa! I'm okay with it! I don't care about going out to school! If I'm with Nii-Nii, then it doesn't matter!"

Satoshi placed a hand over his mouth in contemplation. He began to consider Issei's mental state. After a few seconds, he asked sympathetically.

"...You "need" her here...with you?..."

Issei nodded hesitantly.

"...Yeah.."

"I'll be here! I'll be here everyday with Nii-Nii! I don't care!"

After a short minute of contemplation, Satoshi nodded his head.

"I see... Well...if it's Issei-kun who is beside her, then I'm sure she'll be able to excel in her studies. So long as you help her."

"Of course."

Satoshi sighed lightly.

"Alright. Anything else?"

Issei thought silently to himself.

' _I can't do anything about Satoshi's job. That's not something I can interfere with. Well, if Satoshi knew he would understand. Even though he doesn't. At the very least, if I can protect Baa-san and Maki….but...'_

Issei shook his head.

"Just... Whenever you're not working….stay here at home, with us…"

Satoshi couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Alright."

Issei leaned back into his chair with a sigh.

"...Okay. I'll stay. Just for a while."

Satoshi breathed a light sigh of relief. Akane looked a bit troubled. Maki happily embraced Issei.

"Yes! I'll be with you everyday, Nii-Nii! I'll do everything I can for you! And I'll make sure to convince you to take me with you!"

Issei smiled bitterly.

"Heh….Alright."

' _That's not happening, Maki...'_

He stroked her head softly.

' _Ddraig. What will we do about training the Balance Breaker?'_

[Hm. Training will certainly attract attention. Any spikes in your power, let alone even activating the Balance Breaker may cause something to come looking for you. However, neglecting your training for Balance Breaker would be infinitely worse in my own opinion. In that case, the best times to train would most likely be around the same times you did previously in the past. Inconspicuous times at night at a far away place. The forest you are familiar with will not do. It is too close and is easily pintpointable. Are there any mountain ranges you can find?]

' _Yeah, I think I can find them.'_

[Do you remember how to fly?]

' _Yeah, I think I can recreate the feeling.'_

[In that case, we will train in the mountains. Find a range far from this place. We will fly there to train on certain nights. That area will be your training place for the Balance Breaker. Understood?]

' _Yes.'_

[Very well. Then prepare yourself, boy. From today forth you will be training to reach the levels higher than High-Class Devils and other powerful beings. When you are not training, you will be protecting your family to the best of your ability with your awareness. More than that, you still will be focus training everyday so that you may become proficient enough in concealing your presence to the point that it is habit. So even if you are hiding your presence from the world, you will be growing slowly in the shadows.]

' _Yeah….I know.'_

One year. Only one year. How quickly one year could pass him, he would see for himself.

* * *

 _ **Home.**_

* * *

Hyoudou Issei, age 16. One year since the [Complete Balance Breaker incident]. One year since the destruction of Genesis. One year since the death of Marie Bellerose.

"Most of your stuff has already been taken there. Do you have the money I gave you?"

"Yes, I have it, Oji-san."

Issei placed an envelope with money into his bag. This was the day he was leaving the Aikawa household. He was ready to depart for Kuoh. His hometown. The majority of his belongings had already been transported to his old house. He only carried a bag with the essentials including the money he would need for everything. The most important two items he carried himself were a long sheathed item wrapped in cloth on his back - and a necklace around his neck.

The ones who stood before him, together at the entrance of the home, were his family. Not only his family, but his good friends, Narutobi and Tsubomi as well. Narutobi stepped up and placed a hand on his shoulder with a smile.

"You better make sure to keep in touch, man! I'm not gonna go letting you forget about me anytime soon! You got that!?"

Issei smiled softly.

"Yeah."

Narutobi. His best friend. The timid boy who always wanted to become manlier. The timid boy who succeeded in becoming manlier, even if just a bit. The one who succeeded in gaining confidence and even ended becoming a popular kid. Yet despite his new cliques and reputation, he refused to stop being friends with Hyoudou Issei, no matter how odd it made him look to hang out with such an intimidating person. Even when he no longer attended school publicly, that only made it seemingly easier for Narutobi to spend time with his self-proclaimed best friend. At the very least, it was no longer "self-proclaimed".

They brought each other into a hug.

"I'll see you around, Aniki (bro)."

"Yeah. See you around, Naruto."

"Haha! Shut up!"

They let each other go and smiled. Narutobi stepped back. Tsubomi was the next to step forward. She placed a finger on Issei's broad chest with a stern expression.

"You better call me, you got that? I won't have any excuses like "oh, I forgot", or anything stupid like that, got it? You can remember your morning exercises, then you can damn well remember to call me in the mornings, right?"

"Ehehehe. Yeah, sure."

Akane Tsubomi. His best female friend. She had always had a crush on Issei. She made it quite apparent with all of her actions and words. Even though Issei rejected her initially, she did not give up in pursuing him. She continued being friends with him and developing her feelings even further, much to Issei's (alleged) dismay. In the end, Issei was truly glad to have met her.

Her stern expression shifted to a more sullen one. She looked up at him sadly and spoke with an almost pleading tone.

"Call me, please…. I still want to hear your voice. Call me when good things happen….and when bad things happen. I want to hear about them. And call me whenever you come back to visit. Seriously, call then. I won't forgive you if you don't….. I still want to be able to see you…"

Issei smiled and pet her head.

"Yeah, I got it."

"I told you not to treat me like a kid, didn't I? I'm older than you by a couple months. Brat."

Despite her comments she did not resist the head petting at all. Issei ceased his petting.

"Please. Call me whenever. Okay?"

"Yeah. Same to you."

"Promise?"

She held out her pinky. Issei wrapped his own around hers.

"Yeah. Promise."

She smiled bitterly.

"You always forget your promises."

"Yeah, that's true. That's why I have you around to remember them, right?"

A tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it with a smile.

"Yeah. That's why, I'm going to call you until you hate me."

Issei smirked smugly.

"Hah! Good luck with that."

"What? You think I can't do it? I can get on your nerves just by looking at you. What makes you think I can't do it, huh?"

"Ugh. Why do you have to make everything a competition, Ms. Olympics? What an annoying swim athlete. You're a true gorilla woman."

"This is coming from the literal gorilla man?"

"Who, me? No way. I'm nowhere near as hairy as you."

"Who you calling hairy? You want me to take off my clothes and show it to you?"

"Gross. No way. I've already seen enough from your swim meets. I don't need those nightmares again."

"Why you!"

She playfully punched his arm as they both laughed. Issei brought her into a hug.

"I promise."

She smiled sadly and hugged him back.

"Okay.."

They separated. Tsubomi returned to her spot next to the family. Within a second, Maki bolted straight into Issei's embrace.

"...Is it really not possible to ask for one last time, to please take me with you?.."

Issei held her gently.

"I'm sorry, Maki."

Her grip on him tightened.

Maki. His beloved little cousin. His most precious existence in all of the world. His father was Satoshi's first cousin, which would then genetically make Issei and Satoshi second cousins-once removed. This would make his child, Maki, Issei's third cousin. So, in terms of blood relation, the connection was thin. Even so, such a thing did not matter to either of them. She was still Issei's beloved baby cousin. She was still his family. And Issei loved her with all of his heart. That's why he feels now in his heart, that this is the best decision. Now he has the strength and determination to be on his own. Because dying alone was not something that scared him anymore, instead the thought brought him peace.

Even without him his family would live on, peacefully. That's how it should be. That's how it always should have been. He should've been the only one to die from the start. That's why, now, he'll make sure that if he dies - he dies alone.

The way it should be.

"I love you, Maki."

"I love you more, Nii-Nii."

"I love you most."

"We will always come to visit you, all the time. Even if I have to walk over there, I will visit you. So please, please, take care, Nii-Nii."

"Yeah. I know. You too."

He stroked her hair gently.

' _I wonder if the day will come…'_

He kissed her head lovingly.

' _...when I won't be there to greet you…'_

They let go of each other slowly. They intertwined their fingers and held onto each other's hands. Issei leaned down and Maki lifted herself on her tippy toes a bit. Their noses touched softly.

—A memory from years ago flashed through Issei's mind.

 _("Look, Maki. You see that? Did you know that certain animals give each other kisses by rubbing noses and stuff. It's cute huh?")_

 _("Nii-Nii! I want animal kisses!")_

 _("No, well, we're humans.")_

 _("Mmmm! I! want! animal! Kisses!")_

 _("Ahahaha, geez, okay okay. Stop fussing.")_

Their noses rubbed softly against each other. Tears fell freely from Maki's closed eyes.

"I love you, Nii-Nii…"

A lone tear fell from Issei's right eye.

"Yeah... I love you too.."

They finally separated, only letting go of each other's hands when their distance increased beyond arm's length. Maki went to her parents side. They both smiled at Issei sweetly.

"Please take care of yourself, Ise-kun. We love you."

"Yeah, I know. I love you too, Baa-san."

"We'll visit as soon as we can alright? Make sure to take care of the house while you're there, yeah buddy?"

"Yeah, I've got it. Thanks, Oji-san."

An unfimilar car arrived in front of the house. A man stepped out from the driver's side.

"Yo, Satoshi! Long time no see! This your kid?"

"Yeah, that's him!"

"Alright! Hop in kid!"

The man sat back into his car. One of Satoshi's good friends. His family is on there way to visit Kuoh as well, so they were willing to take Issei along and drop him off at his home. Issei turned back to his family, one last time.

"Bye, everyone. I love you all."

The group waved at him collectively.

"We love you too, Ise-kun."

Issei turned and walked out to the gate of his yard. He waved back one last time. He walked to the car as they waved back. The driver of the car greeted him as he entered and sat beside two girls of similar ages.

"Hey, kid! Good to meetcha! You must be Issei!"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, Issei. Buckle up. Next stop is Kuoh."

Issei looked out the window to see the group waving at him.

The moment the car began to drive off—

"Bye-bye, Nii-Nii!"

Maki ran up to the gate and began waving goodbye to him.

—Tears streamed freely from her eyes.

"Bye-bye! Bye-bye! Bye-bye!"

Issei smiled, but he could hold back from crying no longer.

"Bye-bye, Maki! Bye-bye!"

"Bye-bye, Nii-Nii! Bye-bye!"

Even though he was smiling, the tears ran quickly down Issei's cheeks. The home— his home, gradually faded off into the distance.

' _I love you.'_

* * *

 **-Hyoudou-**

A car slowly came to a stop in a suburban neighbourhood. Right in front of the gate of a certain yard.

"Is this your place, kid?"

"...Yes."

"Alright then! In that case, it's real close by. We're just around the corner so don't hesitate to let us know if you need anything."

"...Thank you."

"Nah, don't mention it. If it's for Satoshi's boy, then it's fine. Besides, my girls could use some company while they're here. They ain't very social, you see."

"Tou-chan!"

"What? It's the truth!"

Issei opened the door to the vehicle and stepped out.

"..Thank you."

"Nah, don't sweat it kid. We'll be around, in case you need something, just holler."

"...Yeah.."

He shut the door and turned around. The sound of the car driving off was the last sound he heard as the world went silent. Right before his very eyes, a familiar place, a nostalgic scene.

—The place formerly known - as the Hyoudou Household.

…

It was a cloudy day.

 _("You like rainy days, partner?")_

 _("Yeah. Oyaji always preferred rainy days after all.")_

Marie Bellerose died on a cloudy day.

…..

He slowly walked all the way up to the door, in what felt like slow motion. He stopped in front of it. The paint from those many years ago, painted on by his father, was left untouched.

He slowly raised his arm and took hold of the doorknob. He placed his key into the keyhole and unlocked the door.

 _ **Dakun**_ …

With that, he slowly opened the door.

 _ **Creak**_ ….

The door creaked fully open—

"Ise! Where have you been!? You're late for dinner again, young man!"

.

.

.

.

.

.

—The house - had no one inside.

….

 _ **Drip**_ ….

Small droplets of water fell to the floor beneath his feet as he slowly took his first step in. His foot descended upon the ground.

 _ **Pomf**_ …

—What placed itself down on the floor - were the small white shoes of a little boy.

"...I'm….home…"

He announced himself to receive no response.

…..

He walked through the hall after removing his shoes. His shoes were the only ones at the entrance.

He entered through to the main living area. His eyes landed on the couch—

"Oh, Ise, my boy. Come, sit here. Watch some sports with me. I'm sure you'll be interested in this one, I just know it."

—An empty sofa.

…

He walked past the living area into the dining area.

"Ise! Stop playing with your food! Stop calling meatballs 'Oppai'!"

—An empty dining area, accompanied by an empty kitchen.

…..

He walked past the dining area into the hall leading to a certain room. He halted in his tracks.

The playroom.

Peeking out from the corner of the playroom he could see something running along the ground slowly.

—Blood.

…

He slowly made his way up to the room. He peered his head around the corner.

—An empty and clean playroom.

However….

"...I'm home…"

What used to be a playroom - was now a room with a shrine in it. Dedicated to two people with photos in it. Above the photos was a small sign. It read:

"Mum…. Pops…."

 _《Hyoudou》_

…

 _ **Thud!**_

Within a mere moment, the boy had fallen to his knees before the shrine and knelt his head before it.

"...I'm home…."

The spot he had knelt in - he could see it right under him. The spot right under his belly.

—A severed hand once rested in that spot.

….

How much time has passed with him kneeling before the shrine, it is not certain. He slowly brought himself back up to his feet. He made his way out from the room and turned to the staircase.

"Ise! No running up the stairs! Knock it off!"

…

 _ **Pom pom pom**_...

He made his way up unhurriedly. His soft steps were the only sounds that echoed through the quiet house. Once he reached the second floor, he was at a crossroads. To the left, the room of a young boy who had yet to wake up from his terrible nightmare. Right, the room of a peaceful, loving couple, without a care in the world.

The moment he opened one of those doors…. Reality would—

...

He stepped towards the room to the right. With a great deal of hesitation, he slowly raised his hand to grab hold of the doorknob.

 _ **Dakun**_ …

With one rotation, he opened it fully—

"Hm? What's wrong, sweety? Did you have a bad dream?"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Tears silently landed onto the carpet below.

"Yeah…"

The room—

"I did…"

—was completely empty.

….

….

….

The door was slowly pulled shut.

"...Good night….. Kaa-chan, Oyaji…"

The boy let go of the handle, and slowly walked to the room across the hall. The room of a young boy. He wrapped his hand around the cold doorknob and turned it.

 _ **Dakun**_ …

The door opened slowly.

"What game do you wanna play, Rin?"

—Empty.

The boy had finally woken up from his dream— only to live the never-ending nightmare.

…

 _ **Thud!**_

The boy's bag was tossed to the side as he stepped in. The room, like the rest of the house, was clean and tidy. Every year, twice a year, Satoshi would request for cleaning services to keep the house in orderly condition. The more logical decision would have been to have the house cleared and the furniture stored, considering that no one lived in it. However, despite being a very logical man, Satoshi could not accomplish this. For some reason, he could not bring himself to do it. He had rather the house be maintained under his supervision until the day his "nephew" became an adult and finally moved in. Almost as if he didn't have the heart to do anything else.

The boy stepped in front of the large mirror propped up against the wall of his closet.

—What stared him back in the face - was nothing but a child.

 _ **Crack!**_

Without even a movement, the mirror seemingly cracked. The origin point of the crack sat right over his right eye. The image cracked to reveal, not a child, but rather— the dark silhouette of a monster.

—But in reality, the reflection was nothing more - than a broken man.

…..

The boy walked to the bed and dropped himself onto it, ignoring the freshly packaged uniform lying on top of the bedside drawer. He curled his body up onto the bed and took a familiar position. The fetal position.

His hand wrapped tightly around the item hanging from his neck as he removed the sheathed item from his back and laid it beside him. His grip on the necklace tightened as he maintained his gaze on the sheathed item. The sword.

"...We're home…. Marie…"

His slowly shut - and the boy slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **-The Red Dragon Emperor-**

…..

…..

"Ise~! Time for school!"

….

The boy slowly opened his eyes. He was in a familiar room. His childhood bedroom.

"...Ddraig?..."

[I am here, Partner.]

Ddraig's response, along with his cracked reflection on the mirror across the room, confirmed it.

—It was not all just a dream.

"..."

He slowly lifted himself up. A sheathed sword lay beside him on the bed. Looking outside the window he could tell it was early morning. He reached into the beg lying against his bed and pulled out an alarm clock. He placed it above his bed. The place he used to have it in as a child.

(7:22 AM)

Issei realized it upon seeing the time.

"Ah."

It was already the next morning. That means that he must had slept around 20 hours straight. To believe that emotional exhaustion could have such an effect. Truthfully, it should not have surprised him. After all, he had gone the same period of time just lying awake somewhere. Though at that time, he had a body in his arms.

"...Time for school."

He stood from his bed and picked up the package on his bedside drawer. The tag on the package read: [Kuoh Academy]. Kuoh Academy. A prestigious school with a higher ratio of female students to male students. The reason for this was because it had only recently become a Coed institution a few years back. Issei did not care for such details, he merely chose it because it happened to the most prestigious in the town and the distance from his home was feasible enough.

He removed the packaging and brought the fresh uniform out. He decided to waste as little time as possible and brought out an undershirt from his bag. If what his uncle says is true, then his clothes should be in one of the boxes sitting beside his closet, but he'd rather not waste time searching. He was already late as it is. The first period had started. Not to mention, he was late to term in general. The school year had already started a month ago. He would surely stand out transferring in now. How troublesome, though he only blames himself. He simply could not bring himself to leave Maki just yet at the time.

Issei pulled out a red shirt.

"...Red.."

Red had always been Issei's favorite color growing up. It was funny that the Boosted Gear was red as well. If he was being honest, he would assume that it most likely had something to do with that, subconsciously.

Besides…

 _("What is it, Écaille? Hm? My hair is getting longer you say? Is that so? In that case, I will have it cut tomorrow. Hm, why you ask? Well, you have always said that you prefer short hair. Eh? No wait! That doesn't mean I will be doing it for you! It just means—well…..ehehehe..")_

"...Yeah. Red is fine."

Issei began changing out from his normal clothing and into his uniform.

"It's still fall so I guess that includes this blazer?"

Issei finished changing once he donned his blazer. The uniform was quite form fitting. Though that may be due to Issei's broad physique, but at the very least it was comfortable. He pulled the necklace that sat underneath his shirt and let it hang freely in the open. It was something he never took off at this point, even if it made some question whether he was a Christian or not. He would prefer to leave it in the open air. He didn't consciously understand why.

—The truth was because he wanted her to "see" the world with him.

For that reason, he left his dress shirt and and blazer unbuttoned.

"Alright. That's it, I guess."

He was finished changing. He wasn't sure how it happened, but his mirror ended up broken. He picked up his phone and walked to the bathroom.

 _ **Tka!**_

He snapped a photo of himself in front of the mirror.

"That should be good."

He sent it to a few people. His aunt had told him to "send photos in his uniform", after all. He went back into his room to quickly retrieve his bag. He received a response from someone very shortly after.

(Maki: [You look so handsome, Nii-Nii! Have fun on your first day! I love you!])

He smiled. Though he received another message almost immediately.

(Maki: [Stay away from those hungry women! Nii-Nii is not allowed to have a girlfriend before Maki or Tsubomi-oneechan! On second thought, no girlfriend! Nii-Nii is mine!])

"Heh."

He couldn't help but smile sweetly. He sent his own message back while making his way downstairs.

(Sent: [Yes, Ma'am.])

He stopped when he reached the staircase. He looked down the hallway leading to the play— shrine room. He walked to the shrine room and stood ahead of the shrine.

"...How do I look?.."

…...

The house was silent. He smiled sadly.

"...Wish me luck…"

He exited and briskly made his way to the entrance of the house. His shoes were the only ones waiting at the entrance. He placed them on and opened the door. He looked back one last time with a bitter smile.

"...I'm off.."

With that, he shut the door to his empty home and made his way to the academy.

* * *

"Next is a right and…"

Issei read the directions on his map to the school while making a turn at a corner. It had only been a 7 minute walk and he was closing in on the school. Perhaps it was because he would jump trees and atop houses in certain areas to decrease the distance as much as possible.

[Partner….do you feel it?]

Issei placed his map in his brown school bag hanging on his right shoulder. He would no longer need it.

 _'Yeah. I feel them.'_

He no longer needed the directions once he could feel the small flickers of presence off in the distance, as he closed in on his destination. His expression became dark, and his right eye shut.

 _'Devils.'_

—Before he knew it, he had reached the large, open entrance to the school.

(Kuoh Academy)

That's what the sign above the gated entrance read.

 _'You think they can feel me?'_

[Ha. Preposterous. With an existence such as yourself, who can eliminate his presence even during his slumber, there is simply no possibility of it. Our training was never for naught.]

 _'I see…'_

Issei's left hand slowly wrapped around the necklace.

 _'...What should we do, partner?'_

[We are the Sekiryuutei. We will not hide any longer. This place is your home is it not? Make your dominion known. We are the Dragon of Domination. Establish your dominance.]

"Heh."

Issei smirked.

 _'You know something funny, Ddraig?...'_

He slowly opened his previously shut right eye. His grip on his necklace tightened.

 _'..I wasn't even asking you.'_

—A glowing red eye made itself visible through his contact lens.

… _ **OOOOHHHHMMMMMM!**_..

 **[—?!]**

Certain students from differing grades, throughout the school, suddenly stood from their seats as chills were sent down their spines.

"Eh? Gremory-san? Where are you going? Do you need to be excused— Eh? Shitori-san as well? Where you students going?"

In only the short span of a minute, a large of group of students were running together in the new school building.

"Did you feel it, Sona?"

"Yes. I could not have ignored it."

"Buchou!"

"Yuuto, Akeno, Koneko. Follow closely."

"Yes!"

"Kaichou, what is going on?"

"No time. All of you, follow."

They soon exited the new school building together.

"There. Near the fountain."

One of them pointed towards the school's nicely designed, stone water fountain. They could see a figure standing in front of it.

"Stay behind us."

"Yes, Buchou."

"Sona, will you let me do the talking?"

"Yes, this is your territory after all."

The group began to approach the figure.

[They're here.]

 _'Yeah...'_

Issei could hear many footsteps suddenly come to a halt a few meters behind him.

"What business do you have here?"

He heard the voice of a young girl call out to him. He did not answer. Instead, he slowly turned around to face the group.

— _ **Chills**_

They could feel the chills run down their backs. The figure faced them with a dark shadow cast over his face. The only part of him that was visible through the darkness were his eyes. Most noticeably - one red glowing right eye.

But just for one moment, his hostility suddenly vanished upon laying eyes on one of them.

"M...Mari—"

— **WRONG**.

His mind abruptly halted. A soft wind blew through the woman's red flowing hair. That color was not red— it was Crimson.

The face of a certain young girl overlapped with the woman's own. Yet they were not the same. The soft wind blew through the hair once more.

"That hair…."

He spoke aloud with widened eyes. Two memories began to clash together through his head. Memories of a tragic day and the memories of a day long forgotten. The dots began to connect in his mind. The pieces fell together in place.

That hair. It was present on both of those days. Once, a little girl who bore it, standing in the clearing of a foggy forest.

Then, that day, high up in the night's sky. Glistening in the moonlight. Four figures floating together. One of which had hair that flowed in the night's breeze.

The very same hair of the person who stood before him.

"...Kk…"

His mouth made a small sound.

Slowly, his teeth grinded into an beast like snarl - and his glowing red eyes pierced through their souls.

They froze. An oppressing atmosphere like no other shot off from the body of the man. Like a dark blanket, it dimmed the light of the world around them into a dark red hue.

Hovering behind his form, they could see—

"... **Gremory!**.."

—A giant Dragon's eye staring them down.

 _ **CHILLS!**_

An overwhelming pressure was blasted off from the body of the man, or in their minds - from the large eye of the beast.

 _ **OOOOOHHHHHHHHHMMMMMM!**_

A few of the younger, weaker ones stumbled backwards and fell onto their backs. With such an overbearing aura, it felt impossible to stand. It felt impossible to speak. It felt impossible to breath.

The very best they could manage was to freeze like prey - beneath the gaze of a monster.

"..A.."

The one with crimson hair could only utter a sound. It was as if the gigantic, monstrous eye was so close - she could see her own reflection within it.

However—

"Eh?"

The pressure suddenly alleviated.

….

Before their minds could fully process that they were free from the beast's metaphorical grasp, they were caught by the sight of what seemed to be a normal boy. A boy with a confused expression.

"...You're…"

The one with crimson hair followed his confused gaze. It led to the person right behind her. A woman with long black hair tied into a ponytail.

"...alive?…."

The boy looked at the ponytailed woman with a confused gaze, but spoke in a soft tone. She took a step back.

"...Who…"

He averted his gaze with what looked to be contemplation. The one with crimson hair saw a chance to speak now that the pressure had finally alleviated.

"...W...Who are you?..."

—But the pressure returned the moment she spoke, along with the dark glare.

".. **Devils**.."

They could feel their skin crawl with his venomous words. It was as if they were standing in the presence of something they could not fight. In fact, it was every instinct in their bodies that compelled them to have the desire to flee. Despite that, they stood their ground with trembling bodies.

In all of her hesitation, gathering all of her courage, the crimson haired woman spoke once again.

"...W..What are you?..."

His glowing eyes burned through her soul. His gaze slowly shifted to the woman behind her.

As the seconds passed like minutes, his glare gradually began to lessen. Though the glare was still there to an extent, there seemed to be a small light in his eyes. The crimson haired woman asked him hesitantly, hoping to finally receive an answer.

"...D...Do you know her?.."

His gaze shifted back to the crimson haired woman, but it had become a chillingly hollow expression, devoid of emotion.

 _'...Ddraig….'_

[Gremory. Hm, yes, it's familiar. I certainly do recall a similar name from my past. Judging from their power alone, two of them are certainly High-Class Devils. Not to mention, our encounter from a few years back, this finally confirms it.]

 _'What should we do?'_

[It is up to you, partner. You have surely established your dominance well enough. You've instilled it within their beings. They cannot defy you. Not without the expectation of death invading their mind, at least. What we do next - is all up to you.]

For one short moment of the seemingly endless silence, his eyes shifted to the black haired woman, then quickly returned the crimson haired one. Finally, rather than hearing the bellow of a beast, they would hear the low voice of a man speak.

"...This place is my home.."

He lifted his arm up near his chest - and a quick bright flash of red blinded their vision.

"..My question is…"

 _ **Shiin!**_

What appeared on his arm—

" **What are Devils doing in my home?** "

—A red gauntlet with a green jewel.

—( **The Red Dragon Emperor.** )

The realization had finally set in. They were face to face with the one and only, current host, of the Welsh Dragon Emperor.

"...S...Sekir...yuutei…"

The crimson haired woman could only mutter out those words. There were truly no rational thoughts present in their minds. It was as if their instincts were easily overpowering their thought processes. They could only feel.

Feel the prickling on their skin. Feel the overpowering existence hovering above their heads. Feel the immense pressure planting their bodies firmly against the ground. Feel the burning heat against their open eyes. Feel the twitching of their bodies which refused to move. Feel the dryness of their mouths. And most of all - feel the innate desire to retreat.

... _ **Shin**_...

An almost silent, tiny sound was made from the palms of the crimson haired woman. When she glanced down to it she could faintly see the light from a small glowing circle. A distress signal. One she had activated unconsciously. One that would only signal a certain person.

"..Oi.."

Her body turned as stiff as stone at the sound of a voice in her ear. Her gaze slowly shifted back upwards.

" **What are you doing?** "

—The tall, dark form was staring her down in the face.

 **[—?!]**

"R-RIAS!"

The woman behind her suddenly moved - but his gaze snapped to her direction.

"—!"

She froze in place.

—The black and white images of her death flashed through her mind.

 _ **OOOOOHHHMMMMM**_ ….

The pressure that had continuously held down their beings, slowly but surely, began to gradually lessen. Second by second, which felt like years past, the overwhelming presence began to lift. They could feel their lungs take in miniscule amounts of oxygen. The sweat drops running down their foreheads no longer evaporated the moment they appeared. Their tongues began producing saliva once again.

"...Devils…"

His gaze returned itself down to the crimson haired woman near his chest. His form no longer held the same unbelievable presence to it as before. However, his cold gaze continued to hold mortifying darkness deep in his eyes.

"I am still awaiting your answer, Devil."

The low voice demanded of her. Yet, she could not speak.

"...V….Very well."

The one who had stepped up carefully beside her was a black haired woman with glasses. She maintained a stoic expression, but her hands were trembling.

"...Let us open a dialogue…"

His gaze peered through the lens of her glasses and felt its way into her soul. For the first time in her life, it had felt as if she was the one whose being was exposed to the world - and scrutinized thoroughly.

…..

The unbearable silence remained for what was but a few short seconds. Once they passed—

"Walk."

He stepped back and placed his hands in his pockets.

"I will follow."

…..

"...Very well."

The short haired woman with glasses turned on her heel.

"...This way."

The moment she turned she pulled on the arm of the woman beside her and whispered.

"Walk, Rias."

With the delay of a few seconds, the crimson haired woman seemed to snap out of her shock. But she could still not speak. She turned on her heel slowly and began to walk forward with her companion.

"...Let's go."

That was all the woman with glasses said before the entire group began to move slowly.

Once they were a meter away, he finally took a step forward, and followed.

[What will you do, partner?]

 _'I want an answer.'_

The group slowly made their way into a different section of the large academy. There looked to be what was a small forest within it. As they entered the forest, the woman with glasses whispered to her companion.

"...Rias. Snap out of it. You must calm yourself. You are the protector of this territory. You said you would take responsibility did you not?"

"..."

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"...Y…..Yes….. I know…... I know..."

"...Good…... Is it possible to contact Sirzechs-sama?..."

She felt sweat run down the back of her neck, refusing to glance back, like the rest of her group.

"...N... I do not know….. It….. He noticed….. I am.."

She was too afraid to try again.

"...In that case….we are on our own…"

The woman with glasses finished grimly as they stopped in front of a,decrepit, Victorian style building. A silence permeated through the air once more.

"Here?"

He asked from behind them.

"...No."

The glasses woman very subtly tugged at her companion's sleeves with her fingers.

"...Inside."

The group slowly stepped forward, this time with the redhead leading them up to the building. She opened the door.

"You go in first."

He said (commanded) that plainly upon noticing their hesitation. The woman with glasses nodded her head and stepped inside. The crimson haired woman followed. After that, the entire group slowly filed in. He walked forward once they had all entered and began to follow. The sounds of the creaking wooden floors and stairs seemed so much more apparent compared to the dozens of times before. It gave them the impression that something monstrous was closely following begin them in the darkness. They did not look back once.

They passed only a few doors. One of which was locked and taped with what looked like seals. He could certainly feel something from behind it.

Finally, the group reached a room with double doors. They stopped collectively.

"...This is it."

The glasses woman spoke before her companion opened the doors.

—A dimly lit room with Victorian era design. The only light in the room was the peek of sunlight through the curtains of a window. Two sofas with a coffee table in between them. A desk sat ahead of the sofas. There was another entrance to the right side of the room seemingly leading to a separate area.

The group slowly filed in. A few of them went to light the candles that sat in different spots. Dim candle light colored the room in a orange or yellowish tint. The large majority of the group walked up and stood beside either side of the desk in front. The crimson haired woman stopped behind the desk and stood there with a cautious expression.

 _ **Creak**_...

The man— The Sekiryuutei, slowly stepped forward to stand in front of the coffee table between the two sofas. He stared down at the woman standing behind the desk, across the room from him.

A long silence sat uncomfortably in the air.

…..

"Answer my question, Devil."

The Sekiryuutei spoke. The crimson haired woman swallowed a gulp of saliva and announced herself.

"...I am Rias Gremory….. The heir to the Gremory clan and overseer of this territory.."

The Sekiryuutei raised a brow through his glare.

"Territory?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"...That's right….this town...is my territory…"

At that moment—

"Hah?"

—The Sekiryuutei displayed an expression of disgust as an ominous aura slowly creeped off his form.

" **Your territory?** "

— _ **CHILLS**_

She used every ounce of her will power to speak.

"...T...This town….is under my...jurisdiction…"

" **Jurisdiction?** "

"..A.."

She hesitated.

"...Under my...protection…"

A few seconds passed until she could finally feel the pressure alleviate enough for her to breathe properly. The Sekiryuutei kept his cold gaze locked on her.

"Explain."

She hesitated before speaking.

"W…..Who are you?.."

He growled in irritation.

"Answer me."

Her body flinched harshly. Any sort of authority she held was instantly decimated.

"...T….There are times….when a High-Class family...may take ownership over certain lands…"

The Sekiryuutei's right eye twitched. Only then did it become apparent that the eye was no longer that of a human. It had been replaced by a green reptilian eye.

"Ownership?"

He growled in a low tone.

" **What gives you the right?** "

"—?!"

The crimson haired woman, now known as Rias Gremory, felt chills run down her back. The sharp, green reptilian eye held her in a cold stare. In every way it gave her the impression of belonging to a cold-blooded existence. She truly felt the impression of being a small prey locked in the sights of a large predator. There were even red scales surrounding the small area around the eye and its eyelid. Though the most disturbing detail, that went largely unnoticed, was most certainly the fact that the eye would blink with what looked like two different eyelids while making a small wet sound. It perfectly resembled the eye of a Dragon.

Rias Gremory had no answer.

"...I….I don't…"

The Sekiryuutei clicked his tongue in frustration.

"Tch!"

 _'Hmph. It's looking like our impression of Devil's being greedy, entitled rats isn't that far off.'_

He thought that in annoyance and disgust. His eyes slowly glossed over every person in the room. Students of varying ages/grades. First years, second years, and third years. The strongest ones seemed to be the third years. Though, a majority of them were of similar power levels.

 _'Weak.'_

They were weak compared to him. Looking at it objectively, the strongest individual was seemingly the Gremory Devil. Even then she was hardly half of his base strength, from a very generous estimate. For High-Class Devils, he felt underwhelmed in their presence. All together is the only instance they would pose any threat, and even then, he would surely obliterate them the moment his armor formed around his body. As it was, there was no fair comparison. He simply in another league altogether.

 _'Hmph. What low standards for "High-Class" beings.'_

[Those of High societies are most likely to refrain from honing their skills. They are born with natural talent, and for that reason, commonly neglect any sort of proper training. They squander their potentials. Fools.]

Issei's eyes scanned the room once more. Until they landed on a certain woman with a ponytail. She flinched upon realizing his gaze. Rias took notice. There did not seem to be hostility in his eyes. Swallowing her unease, she took the opportunity for dialogue.

"...Do you know her?"

His hollow gaze shifted back to Rias. He glanced once more at the woman before averting his gaze elsewhere.

"No."

Though she did not question it, she did not believe his answer. With hesitation, she gestured to her companion.

"...Her name is Akeno…"

He did not respond, nor did he look to them.

"...Akeno—"

"—Himejima."

(—?!)

"It was Himejima….wasn't it?"

He said that while looking to the woman from the corner of his eye. Despite denying it before, he certainly recognized her. The girl from that day in the forest. The girl who was wrapped in a net. The one the Fallen Angel known as "Bal" was after.

The girl widened her eyes with what seemed to be a mixture of confusion and fear. It was obvious that she didn't recognize him. They never met.

"...You do know her…"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"No. Not really…."

"...How do you know of her name?"

He scoffed.

"The same way I know yours."

"Eh?"

She furrowed her brows in confusion.

"...W...What do you mean?"

For reasons unknown even to himself, a dark smirk stretched the side of his mouth as his gaze returned to her.

"Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. Rias Gremory. Himejima. Those are the three who left the forest that day. Right?..."

 **[—?!]**

The two girls could feel intense chills run through every part of their bodies. A certain memory from the past flashed through their minds. A memory that no such person was present in. Yet he was there.

"...Y...You were there….you were watching…"

"Hmph. Not on my own."

"...Then….that thing I felt, that day….that was you.."

He scoffed at her reaction, as if irritated. One of her hands slowly hid itself behind her back as a small glowing circle appeared on it. Even without seeing the light, the Sekiryuutei lost his smirk and almost glared at her.

" **I can feel it, Devil.** "

The circle immediately dissipated from her palm. She swallowed the lump caught in her throat.

"..Wh….Who are you?..."

This time, the smirk that appeared on his face was a bit smug. He lifted his arms and gestured to his uniform.

"Can't you tell by looking? I'm the new transfer student. Hyoudou Issei."

"...T...Transfer student..."

Rias furrowed her brows, believing it to possibly be some sort of rouse. But then another woman spoke in a low voice.

"...That name…"

The woman with glasses narrowed her eyes.

"...It matches the profile of the one who registered for transfer just recently... No, not only that. If I were to compare you to the photo provided with the file, it would certainly match as well... It seems that I didn't recognize you because of my shock. So you are the transfer student…."

Issei smirked smugly in her direction.

"Hoh. Considering that you have access to all of that info... You must be the student council President. I see. I couldn't have known since you weren't wearing your sash. "Souna Shitori", if I remember what it said on the paper. —No. Purebred Devils like you are born in a different dimension, aren't they? In that case, it wouldn't make sense for you to have such a "Japanese sounding" name. Most likely an alias then. Heh. Looks like that makes you the naïve one then, [Gremory]."

He finished by pointing at Rias condescendingly. They could only feel sweat run down their foreheads in response to his keen deduction skills. When living to keep secrets from someone as intelligent and observational as Satoshi, such skills will naturally develop over time.

Rias asked with hesitation.

"...What is it that you want?"

"Hah?"

He made a sound of irritated confusion while continuing to point at Rias.

"That's my line. A bunch of Devils like you— what do plan to do with my home?"

He asked with venom in his tone. They furrowed their brows in confusion.

"...I'm afraid I don't—"

However, before Rias could speak, the one called "Souna" stepped forward and spoke in a tone that was less cautious than before.

"Wait. Excuse me, Hyoudou Issei. If I may, I believe that a misunderstanding has taken place."

Issei raised a brow in annoyance.

"Hah?"

"You are correct in what you say. My true name is [Sona Sitri], not "Souna Shitori". That was merely an alias. You are also correct in your assumption of us being Devils. However, I believe there seems to be some sort of misunderstanding between our sides. Though we may be Devils, we bear no ill will or malicious intent towards this town or any who may reside in it. We are nothing more than the overseers to this place. Isn't that right, Rias?"

She turned her gaze to Rias beside her. Rias blinked multiple times before realizing the situation.

"... Yes..! Yes, that's right! That's right! We have no evil intentions towards this place whatsoever! This town, as well as this school, they are our home! Just as much as any other inhabitant that resides within this territory, I think of this place as my home! I am the overseer to this territory and for that reason I aim to protect it, not to bring any harm to it or any one of its inhabitants..! That is the truth..."

She spoke honestly with her hand over her chest. It went dead silent the moment she finished speaking.

….

….

….

Issei merely stood there with a shadow cast over his eyes. He made not a single sound. Not even a sound of breathing.

 _'...'_

[It is up to you, partner. The only thing I can tell you is: there are no falsehoods in their words.]

…..

…..

They could only feel their nerves tense as the unnerving silence drew on. A sudden voice caused them to flinch slightly.

"..Protect from what?..."

He spoke in a low voice. The shadow over his eyes had yet to uncover his expression.

"..W-What?"

"You said 'protect'. Protect it from what?.."

Rias realized his question.

"...O-Oh! W-Well, that is— from any sort of outside or inside threat, of course…"

"...Threat?"

"Y-Yes. For example, Heaven or Grigori. Or, any other sort of group or individuals that could possibly pose a danger to this territory, or it's people.."

Issei's eyes narrowed. His hollow expression was finally clear to see.

"Heaven? Grigori?... Angels and Fallen Angels."

"Yes…. So you know of those as well."

"Ha!"

He gave a loud laugh that startled them a bit, before smiling darkly.

"...I know all of you too well."

 _'...Of humans, I know too much...'_

The woman who identified herself as Sona Sitri asked him.

"Sekiryuutei, if I may ask, do you happen to be affiliated with the church?"

Rias eyes landed on the necklace hanging around his chest. It had gone unnoticed because his presence had overpowered practically any sort of feeling that could have emanated from it.

"Kkeh—!"

Issei made a beast like snarl that sounded like a snort of the purest disgust. It perfectly matched his utterly repulsed expression.

" **Don't place me in the same bunch as those fucking repugnant, maggot-ridden pests**."

(—!)

They were taken aback by his response. Not only did he exude a sense of disgust and rage like never before, but it wasn't even directed at them. They didn't feel as fearful of it because their instincts knew it was not directed towards them. It was almost as if he was looking at something else entirely. Surely, if that much animosity had been directed at them, they would have already assumed they were going to die.

All of that aside, they couldn't help find a small sense of comfort in his passionate disagreement. Rias spoke a bit more calmly.

"..I-Is that so? In that case, would you happen to be associated with Grigori then?.."

Issei scoffed at her question, though there was an obvious lack of any sort of negativity towards it.

"No."

Out of all the responses, that had seemed to be the least hostile. He holds not a shred of animosity towards Fallen Angels.

"I'm not associated with any sides. I'm on my own."

(—!)

That was something that grasped their attention. He was not affiliated with any sides. In other words, he was a free Sekiryuutei. This either did not bode well, because of his chance of rampaging, or it was the best possible outcome there could be. Nevertheless, they had to play their cards right and choose their words carefully.

"..Is that so? I see. So perhaps you are just a Christian then?"

Issei scoffed once more at Rias's question.

"Hmph. Yeah right….. I wouldn't believe in such a worthless God."

From this point on, Rias seemed to gain a bit of her confidence back as an almost unnoticable, relieved smile grew on her lips.

"..Really? Then, may I ask, why is it that you wear that cross?"

The room went silent.

…

Issei's hand slowly lifted to hold the necklace.

"...This is.."

His right eye shut as he lowered his gaze. Their eyes widened when looking upon his expression.

"...A momento…"

—A pained look of sorrow. His pout resembled that of a sad, innocent child.

….

"...I...I see…"

Rias cleared her throat before speaking calmly.

"..In that case, may I ask why you have come to this town, or even this school in particular? Have you come to seek refuge?"

Issei released his grip on the necklace and returned to his prior, no nonsense attitude. His right eye subtly opened back up.

"...This place is my hometown. I lived here long ago when I was a child. I just moved back here yesterday. That's all."

"Oh.. I see. So that's how it is. In that case, that would mean that you had no idea that we were here?"

"Obviously not."

"I see..."

Rias held a hand up to her mouth in contemplation. This was a good outcome. Feeling fortunate, she seemed to regain her confidence a bit. For that reason, she was able to proceed with a hopefully positive interaction. She nodded her head and smiled kindly at Issei.

"I see. Well, in that case: **Welcome back, Issei**."

—Issei's mind came to a halt. The dead silence from before had abruptly returned.

…..

…..

…..

…..

 _ **Drip**_ …

"Are?"

Issei lifted his hand up to his right eye in confusion. There was something leaking from it.

"Wha..?"

He looked at the wetness of his fingers and rubbed it in between them, as if it was some foreign substance, with a confused expression.

—The source of his tears became apparent to him with the flash of an image. A distorted image. As if two images were converging into one. Two different colors of hair. Two different pairs of eyes. Yet two similar smiles. These images overlapped each other.

Two women with sweet smiles turned to greet him from two different kitchens in memory. Two women he loved so dearly.

—His mother, and his love.

 _ **("Welcome back, Ise/Écaille!")**_

…..

"...Excuse me, Sekiryuutei."

He was snapped from his vision with a call. His attention directed itself to the woman standing at her desk.

"..Forgive me if I overstepped boundaries. I should not have referred to you so casually."

She placed her hand over chest apologetically. Issei remained still for a few seconds.

"...Ah."

He wiped the right side of his face.

"No…. It's nothing."

A short silence hung in the air on both sides. Rias spoke calmly. The previous atmospheres of darkness and death seemingly disappeared.

"...Then if I were to sum things up, Sekiryuutei-dono — The reason you came here, was simply to live in secret?"

Issei placed his hands in his pockets and averted his gaze.

"...I just came home….to live peacefully."

A soft smile gradually grew on Rias's face.

"That is what we wish for as well... We simply desire to live peacefully and protect the peace and security of this territory..."

Issei's hair sat over his eyes, masking his expression.

"...You lot…"

He paused before speaking again.

"...You don't plan to use this town for your own 'purposes'?..."

Rias placed a hand over her heart and replied earnestly.

"I swear on my life and my pride as a member of the Gremory family, I will never have any intention of causing any sort of disaster or mistreatment upon this town or any of its inhabitants. I vowed to protect this territory and all of those who reside within it - and that is the only objective I have to complete."

The long, seemingly endless silence returned, one last time.

….

"I see…"

Issei averted his gaze, though his expression was still not visible in the shadows of his face.

"...In that case….. I suppose we aren't enemies then…"

Rias nerves finally fully relaxed themselves. She smiled kindly.

"Yes. That's right…"

"...I see."

Issei promptly turned his back to them.

"...In that case, I have no business here."

He took a step forward to walk out, but was halted by Rias's call.

"Ah, wait!"

"...What?"

"Would you mind coming here again tomorrow?"

"Hah?"

He turned back with a confused expression.

"For what?"

"Yes, well, even though we have cleared things up between us, I believe there's still some talking we should do. If we are going to coexist peacefully then it's best that we don't let any more misunderstandings take place, right? That being said, I also have a proposition."

Issei narrowed his eyes.

"...What sort of proposition?"

"I would like to ask you to join our club."

….

"Hah?"

Issei didn't properly process the seemingly random line.

"...Join...your club?"

"Yes..! You see, I and a few of my servants here, are a part of what is known as the [Occult Research Club]. In truth, this club is nothing more than a front so that we may carry on with our supernatural activities in secrecy, but that's why I'd like to ask you to join. Considering that you are also an, how should I say, "extraordinary existence" much like us, I think it's best if you are to associate with us in that manner. Besides, as overseer of this territory I believe it would do well to keep you under my supervision. No offense to you, of course. You can just as well think of it as keeping an eye on us too. So, do you agree to my proposition?"

Issei stared at her silently. He turned his back to her.

"...I'll come back in two days. Don't label me as part of your club."

"I see. Very well."

Issei began walking out without a word more. Or at least, until he reached the doors to the entrance.

"...Akeno Himejima."

Issei called out without turning. The girl flinched at the sudden call of her name.

"...Judging from the feeling you give off…..you aren't just a Devil, are you?…."

Her eyes widened before she lowered her head. Her fists clenched tightly. She did not answer.

"...That day…..at that time…..were you human?"

No answer.

…...

 _ **Dakun**_.

Issei grabbed the door handle and clicked it open.

"I see."

He opened one of the doors and stepped out.

"...It's good that you're alright…"

The door shut behind him.

…...

"..Huu…"

Rias exhaled lightly. She turned to her allies.

"It looks like it's over."

With that, a large portion of the group let out a collective heavy sigh of relief and relaxed their bodies. It made them sound as if they'd been holding their breaths for hours.

"Aaaaah, thank goodness, I thought we were going to die~"

"Uuu... My head hurts."

"I feel like I'm going to throw up."

"Can I please lie down, Kaichou? I'm very dizzy."

The group of students began lounging and gathering themselves after the feeling of pressure released from their bodies. Sona asked her colleague.

"What do you think, Rias?"

"What do I think? Well…"

She looked to the entrance he exited from.

"...He does not seem to be 'evil'."

Her gaze landed on the ground from which he previously stood. Small wet spots were present on the dark oak wood floors. Droplets of water.

"Is that what you believe?"

Her gaze switched to Akeno, who had quickly entered the adjacent room to retrieve tea for everyone.

"...No. He is not."

* * *

 **-I know you-**

It was hours later. Issei's first day of school was over. An eventful day. Surely, he would never forget it.

* * *

[Hours earlier]:

"I'm Hyoudou Issei. Hope we can get along."

Issei introduced himself to his classroom blankly after writing his name on the board. The teacher smiled at his introduction.

"Alright. Good to meet you, Hyoudou-kun. We'll save questions for after class, since you're late."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh no, no, no. Don't apologize, it's alright. Now, you can sit…."

A few of the students began whispering to each other as the teacher scanned the room. A couple of them switched seats without the teacher noticing, leaving an empty seat somewhere in the middle.

"Sensei, there's a free seat here."

"Oh, I see it. You can sit there, Hyoudou-kun."

Issei sat down without objection. The teacher quickly continued the lessons after he was seated. Once the class period was over, his desk was surrounded by several students.

"Hey, hey, Hyoudou-kun. Um, did you just move here, Hyoudou-kun?"

Despite their needless gathering he didn't have any problem with answering their questions casually.

"Mm. Well, this was my hometown when I was young, but I moved away after I was 6. I only came back yesterday."

Another blonde boy asked him curiously.

"Why'd you move away dude?"

Issei's expression changed to one of sadness as his right eye shut tightly. He averted his gaze.

"...I moved in with my cousins after the [Kuoh disaster]...I...didn't have parents anymore..."

"Ah."

The atmosphere around him became a little awkward after his response. One of the female students standing beside the desk smacked the blonde boy in the head with a book while whispering "Idiot!".

"Don't worry, Hyoudou-kun. There's a lot of people who know your pain. I have a friend who lost her mom during the earthquake too. Her living room collapsed apparently. It was really heartbreaking to hear about. So, you're not alone."

The word earthquake resonated in Issei's mind after the pink haired girl had said it. That's right. None of the people involved with that incident have their memories except for Issei. He was lucky to be able to hide from the Devils until they left, but everyone else doesn't know the truth. Though they said he wasn't alone, he truly felt like he was.

"What type of girls do you like?!"

A random bald-headed student asked that, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. A few of the girls began tossing things at him.

"Ew! Go away pervert!"

"Don't try to twist Hyoudou-kun into learning your perverted ways!"

"Ah, hold on. I don't think you should be throwing things at him. At the very least, there's no reason to hurt him."

Issei voiced his opinion, much to the disagreement of the women.

"You don't get it yet, Hyoudou-kun, but these guys are bad news! They're always peeping on girls and doing perverted things!"

"Ah, hey! Stop trying to give us a bad name to the new kid! At least let him make a judgement for himself!"

"Shut up, you idiot!"

Issei attempted to damage control the situation.

"Please calm down. If we can't talk then there's no way we can understand each other. At least let me talk to him myself."

"Ha! You heard him! See this is a sensible guy! I'm Matsuda by the way!"

"Matsuda. I'm Issei."

Issei shook hands with Matsuda while ignoring the cries of the girls around him.

"So what was your question?"

"What type of girls do you like?!"

"Oh."

Issei hadn't expected such an odd question, but he answered nonetheless.

"Um, any?"

The boy named Matsuda shook his head.

"No, no, no, no! Come now! We are men! It can't possibly be that simple! Surely you have a preference!"

"Preference?"

—The image of a girl wielding a sword elegantly flashed through his mind.

"...Ah. I suppose. Well, in that case, sporty girls, I guess? I like girls who have a good amount of energy and can channel that energy into something productive, like sports. I think I like those types. Also, preferably with short hair."

At that moment, it had suddenly become grossly apparent to Issei exactly how many girls he'd met in his life that are the cause of those preferences.

"Oh? Are you flirting with me, Hyoudou-kun?"

The pink haired girl asked while holding her chin up with her palm, against the desk.

"Hm? Do you play sports, um…"

"Katase. Yeah, I happen to be one of the Kendo club's captains."

"Ah, is that so, Katase-san?"

"Katase is fine. Can I call you 'Issei-kun'?"

"Sure, that's fine. So you're a Kendo captain, huh? That's cool. I am actually a martial artist myself. I've also trained in proper swordsmanship. European style, or whatever it's called."

"Really..! You mean real swordsmanship? Wow. What martial arts have you studied?"

"A few. Judo was my first. After that I did Tai Chi, Jiu Jitsu, Taekwondo, and some kickboxing."

"Wow! That's a lot! You must be quite the master then."

"Well, overall, I'd say that I have way more physical strength than skill. Though I have reached the rank of [2nd Dan] in Judo, which is considered a master in some ways. Ah, a black belt, in layman's terms."

"Wow, you are really sound like quite the impressive guy. You ever think about joining any clubs?"

"Mm. Not really. I don't think there are any I'm currently interested in, but the Kendo club sounds intriguing."

"Really? In that case, you should come check out the club sometime. My co captain and I would be happy to show you around."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Another random girl with glasses and unkempt braided hair interrupted the conversation. Her glasses gleaned eerily.

"Hello, Aika Kiryuu, nice to meet you~ Say, Hyoudou-kun. Judging from your words, you don't have a girlfriend, do you?"

Her question seemed to gather the attention of those gathered and even a few of the students just minding their own business.

"Ah, a girlfriend? No, I—"

 _("Écaille! Let's go on a daaate~!")_

…

"Heh."

Issei smirked.

"I'm afraid that my baby cousin told me she is going to marry me when we get older, so apparently, I am not allowed to have one."

A few of the girls giggled.

"Aw, how cute~ what's her name? Oh, do you have a picture?"

Issei brought out his phone. His wallpaper was Maki's smiling face. She changed it a month ago without his permission. He doesn't have the desire to change it. Nevertheless, he decided it was best if he brought up a picture of her when she was ten years old instead.

"Here. Her name is Maki. She's called me 'Nii-Nii' ever since she was little."

"Aaaaawwww~ she's so cuuuute~!"

"I just wanna squeeze her puffy little cheeks~!"

Issei looked at the picture lovingly.

"Yeah….. Me too."

The girl known as Aika Kiryuu asked him while adjusting her glasses.

"Say, Hyoudou-kun. Your face actually looks quite familiar. Have I seen you somewhere?"

Issei smiled awkwardly.

"Ah…. Well, there was once in the past when I got a lot of press for helping out a missing kid who had been abducted, when I was younger."

"Eh?"

She fixed her glasses once more.

"Wait…. You mean to say that you are that one kid who saved another boy from a serial killer and met the prime minister?"

"Ah…. Well, yes…"

The room went silent.

"...Um.."

Until the class shouted in unison.

[EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHH?!]

* * *

 _ **[ Partner.]**_

—Issei was suddenly ripped from his memories of the school day.

 _'Hm? What is it, Ddraig?'_

[You asked me to remind you to purchase some "groceries" upon your return.]

"Ah."

He realized that he was already more than halfway to his house.

 _'Well, back to the convenience store.'_

* * *

 _ **Din-Dun~**_

"Welcome~"

Issei entered the convenience store and began shopping for any essentials. Milk, eggs, rice packs, some ham, etc. Practically anything to cook into decent meals until he went properly shopping on the weekend. It was already early night by this time.

Issei browsed around in the cold section. His eye caught on to a couple familiar items. The first was an odd looking ice cream jar with green ice cream on it. A gelato ice cream. His father always loved gelato ice cream. He preferred products with low or no amounts of dairy to them thanks to his minor lactose intolerance. The other item that Issei's eye caught onto was a strawberry flavored milk. His mother loved to drink those after a bath. For some reason, Issei's right eye twitched when he laid eyes upon it. As if the item held some even more important significance subconsciously. He smiled sweetly.

 _'Heh….everywhere I go...you're always around me...huh. Mum, pops…'_

He opened the freezer door and reached inside to grab the strawberry milk.

 ** _Slide_**.

—But as he reached for it, someone had already swiped the item away.

"Oh! Oh! I love this flavor! Can I take it?"

Issei turned.

Marie held the strawberry milk up next to her face and smiled brightly.

"Strawberry flavor was always my favorite!"

.

.

.

.

.

.

[Partner.]

—There was no one there.

…

 _ **Din-Dun~**_

"Thank you for shopping here~"

Issei walked out of the convenience store with his bag in hand. Completely silent. A few items, including a strawberry milk, were sitting in his bag.

He stopped in front of a stoplight and waited for his time to walk, despite the fact that there didn't seem to be any drivers around.

"Yes, yes. I'm on my way, Otou-san. I'm close now."

A young girl near his age stopped beside him while speaking over the phone. He ignored her conversation and got lost in his own thoughts.

"Yes, right now I'm—"

After a few seconds of abrupt silence, he felt a stare land on him. He thought it was best to ignore it.

"...It can't be…"

He decided he couldn't ignore it when he felt a hand grip onto his elbow. He looked down to the girl.

"Can I help yo—"

His mind came to a grinding halt.

"That face... It's you!... It has to be!"

The girl was looking up at him with shock. Soon enough, tears began to build at the edges of her eyes.

"...It's you! It's you! Do you remember me?! That day—! That day during the earthquake! You— You—!"

The image flashed in his mind. Pink shirt. Short brown hair. Blue eyes. A rabbit plushie in her right hand. Covered in blood.

"—You saved my life!"

—The girl he saved from the Nightwalker.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 _ **Drip**_..

Tears ran down the Issei's cheeks. A feeling of a long awaited relief washed over him.

"...You're...alive.."

Even from the distance, it could be seen that a young boy and a young girl were hugging across the street from a convenience shop.

* * *

 _ **Ding-Dong~**_

A doorbell rang through a random house. A man relaxing at a Kotatsu with what looked to be 2 daughters and a son spoke.

"Naomi. That's your sister, Haruka. Go get the door for her."

"Ugh. Why do I always have to get it? We might as well just leave it unlocked."

One of the girls stood and walked to the entrance of her house. She opened the door to see her sister.

"Tou-san said you're late."

She was surprised to see a tall young man standing beside her sister.

"Who is this?"

The girl with short, light brown hair gestured to the man beside her.

"This is…."

She smiled gently.

"...My hero.."

"...Hah?"

Her sister raised a confused brow.

"What? Did you fall in love or something? Tou-saaaaan! Haruka has a boyfrieeeeend! And he's an older guy tooooo!"

"Whaaaaaaat?!"

* * *

"...Haruka….you mean to say that...this boy is…"

Issei stood before the family sitting at the Kotatsu with the girl named Haruka standing beside him. Haruka gestured to him with a gentle tone.

"..That's right, Tou-san…. This is the boy who saved me that day. The one that I told you about. I told you he was real, didn't I?"

Issei bowed with the deepest respect.

"I am Hyoudou Issei. I…."

—The image of a severed woman's head came into his mind.

"...I am...so glad you are all okay…."

It was silent. For some reason, he could feel a great shame overcome him. Almost as if he believed he was responsible for something he wasn't. But—

"Thank you."

He was brought into an embrace by the man before him.

"You saved my daughter's life. Thank you, with all of my heart."

….

Issei fought back the powerful urge to weep. His body trembled in response to his struggle.

"...I'm sorry…."

The father patted his back before releasing him. Issei's gaze was suddenly drawn to something ahead of him. Standing at the left of the flat screen television the family was previously watching - was a shrine. A shrine dedicated to one woman. A woman who resembled the children.

"That's…."

The father followed his gaze.

"...Ah, yes…. My wife…"

Issei asked hesitantly.

"...May I pay my respects?"

"Of course.."

Issei slowly approached the shrine and knelt before it. He bowed his head fully, until his forehead touched the floor. The greatest respect he could pay. And for some reason, he found himself apologizing.

"...I'm sorry…. I'm sorry.."

The father knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his back.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You saved my— our daughter's life. She would have been truly happy to meet you."

"...I couldn't save her…"

"You were just a child. No one could have expected you to. Even just saving my daughter alone is an amazing thing. We couldn't be more grateful. All of us."

Issei lifted his head. He could not rid the image of her severed head from his mind as he stared at her photo.

"...Wait. If you say that, then…could it be that you were present in her last moments..?!"

"Eh?"

Issei noticed the family around gain a certain light in their eyes. He had unknowingly dug himself into a hole with his words. The father pleaded of him hopefully.

"W-What happened?! Did she have any parting words?! What did she say?! Please tell us!"

…

After a short silence, Issei averted his gaze and shut his right eye.

"...A...At that time…. I was already holding onto little Haruka-chan….. She….. She reached out for her…. The only thing she said was….'I love you'..."

Issei felt an unbearable shame wash over his being. He lied. He lied right through his teeth, just so he could comfort them. He felt like true scum. Haruka held onto her face as she began crying. Her siblings silently shed tears as well. The father simply nodded his head understandingly.

"...I see…. Yes, I see….. Thank you….. Thank you so much.."

Issei lowered his head shamefully.

 _'..Scum..'_

"Thank you. Thank you for telling us….. I'm sorry you had to witness it. No child should have to see such things."

—The entirety of Issei's life flashed before his eyes when he said that.

"...Heh."

He couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"...My parents... I found them as well…"

Issei turned his bitter smile towards Haruka's father.

"...I didn't make it on time…"

(—?!)

They realized the implication. The father looked at him sympathetically and patted his back lightly. But Haruka began crying.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!— It's—! It's my fault! If you it wasn't for me—! You would—!"

 **[—!]**

"NO!"

Issei suddenly whipped around and shouted.

"No! You're wrong! It's not your fault!"

"But—! But—! If it wasn't for me—! Your parents would—!"

"No! Don't say it! It's not true! It's not your fault! None of it is!"

—Every memory from that day clashed together violently in his mind .

"Not a single thing..!"

Haruka's father placed a hand on his shoulder.

"That's right. None of what happened was anyone's fault. This was something that was not caused by anyone. That's why, no one should blame anyone. We should just be thankful for whatever we still have. Right?"

 _'...Blame...'_

—The color of crimson seeped into the back of his mind.

Haruka wiped her tears.

"Yes…. Thank you for saving me…"

Issei lowered his head.

"...Thank you…"

He lifted his head back up with a painful smile and tears running from his eyes.

"Thank you for being alright!"

Haruka's father stroked his head gently. Issei could feel just a bit of the loneliness in his heart from the past day wash away.

* * *

 **[—]**

"Amazing! Not only were you the boy who saved our little sis, but you were also that hero boy who was on television a few years back! You truly are a hero, Hyoudou-san!"

One of Haruka's older sisters said that with astonishment after Issei revealed the detail of his past. They were sitting together and eating snacks at the Kotatsu. Haruka's father sat on one side with his son, Haruka's two sisters sat together on another, and Issei sat on the side facing the tv with Haruka (inexplicably) sitting beside him. Issei rubbed the back of his neck with a smile.

"No, well, I wouldn't say "hero"... Hehehe."

"Are you kidding?! You literally saved two kids while you were a kid yourself! Twice! That's twice! One of them was from a collapsing ceiling and one of them was from a damn serial killer! There's no way that's not amazing! You shouldn't have just met the prime minister, you should have a statue built in your honor!"

"Ehehehe…"

Issei could only laugh awkwardly at the other sister's response. They seemed to be twins. They were also the oldest with Haruka being the middle child and the son being the youngest. Judging from his current age, the son must have been a mere baby when the incident took place. Haruka's father smiled and took a sip of his sake. His face seemed a bit red from drinking.

"Yes, I agree. It certainly is unbelievable. And yet it's all true. Ah~ Yes, with this I can finally feel at ease. If it's someone like Hyoudou-kun taking care of my daughter, then I can surely rest easy as a parent."

"O-O-Outo-san!"

Haruka shouted at her father with a strong blush. Issei merely laughed.

—For the first time in what felt like hundreds of years, yet was only even a day, Issei felt truly happy.

* * *

 **-DxD-**

"Mmm…"

Issei cracked his neck as he crossed a bridge. His second school day ended without incident, thankfully. There were still many curious students bombarding him with questions, but he didn't mind for the most part. The odd boys known as the "Perverted duo" were quite persistent with their inappropriate questions however. And tomorrow, he'll have to visit the Devils, as promised.

"A-A-Ano!"

"Hm?"

Issei stopped at the sound of a voice behind him. He turned his head back.

"A-A-Are you Hyoudou Issei?"

He was met with an unfamiliar young girl in a uniform he didn't recognize. However…

"Ah."

Issei turned fully to face her.

"Um…"

He rubbed the back of his neck lazily.

"What do you want, Fallen Angel?"

"...W-What?"

* * *

 **End**

 **This chapter truly made me cry multiple times. If you thought it was hard to read it, imagine having to immerse yourself within the characters in order to write it properly. Jesus fucking Christ. I lost my father when I was young, but I can't imagine what it's like for people who have lost both fucking parents. Fuck. My heart goes out to all of those people. I hope you're alright.**

 **Anyway, this does take place a tiny bit before cannon does initially. Cannon storyline takes place a few months into the second year of Issei's, well, second year. He is actually 16 when the series starts out. We know that because it's confirmed that his birthday is somewhere in early April and Volume 5 takes place during the summer, which means that Issei's birthday had already passed him that time, AND Issei states himself during the summer that the Raiser incident took place "a few months back" THEREFORE, this timeline is accurate. It's just that it takes place a couple months before initial cannon. Maybe only like a month and a half before then. That doesn't mean that things won't take place like in Cannon, as made obvious by the cliffhanger!**

 **So yes, Issei is back home now. I did say last time that the story would be lighter but I'm not sure what many of you thought when I meant that. You see, the prologue was always meant to be the darkest and most fucked up parts of the story. It's exactly what ties Issei's personality together. Looking back at it now, it honestly feels beautifully crafted, not to toot my own horn or anything. It's just that everything feels so nicely connected. I honestly think this will turn out to be the most interesting story of its kind because most, if not all, stories like this just gloss or skip Issei's past entirely. But I feel so much more satisfied and accomplished seeing it all tie together in a beautiful, fucked up bow.**

 **Ah, also, got you with a curveball there didn't I? I bet you weren't expecting this Haruka character now were you? From the beginning it was planned. Why did you think I gave such a detailed description of her in the first chapter? Hell, even one of the students in Issei's class referenced her. As for her appearance, I thought that [Mimura Kanako] from [Idolmaster] was a good choice. But with blue eyes.**

 **Lastly, I told you Marie would have a significant importance with Issei's character. So much of it. If this didn't prove it, I don't know what will.**

 **So yeah, tell me what you guys thought.**

 **Did you feel emotions during this chapter? What do you think of Issei's character at this point? What did you think of Issei's first encounter with the Devils? Did it go anything like you thought it would? Is Issei a monster, a man, or just a child? What will happen between Issei and the Devils from this point forward? Did you ever expect for the little girl (Haruka) to make an appearance? What part did you enjoy best about this masterpiece of a chapter (in my honest opinion)? And most importantly, what the Hell do you think is gonna happen next?**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**

 **[P.S. It's 8AM and I haven't slept the whole night. I usually upload these chapters at 6AM with no sleep. The things I do for my passion of writing. I am actually probably going to die lol.]**


	12. Chapter 12: The Fallen

**Hey, guys, we are back! It's been a little while (for this story at least). In case you're wondering what happened, I basically explained it in an update chapter for [A Fool's Heart] and [Red Dragon Of Stupidity]. I took a small break.**

 **Many, many readers were constantly telling me to take a break in case I was exerting myself because every chapter I released was being released in quick succession and super long. I refused and kept refusing, preferring to prioritize my writing, and having no reason to stop. Then, guess what happened. I put out one of my best ever, masterpiece chapters for A Fool's Heart, and it was 50,000 words long, my longest chapter ever. Released in about 5 days. Funny enough, I then ended up going to the hospital because I felt like shit and you know what it was? I was dehydrated. Why? Because I literally just** _ **forgot**_ **to properly hydrate myself for a couple days.**

 **Yep. That's it. That's what happened. After that, I went home the day of, not being in any serious condition and decided: "Yeah, maybe I should take a little breather", Lmao. That's what happened. So, yeah, that's why the hiatus. I took a 2 week break after realizing how fucked my work ethic was. But now, unlike before, I always have a water bottle on my desk and I set an allotted time per day for me to stop writing. No more: "Hey, it's only 3am. I'll write until 5am and finish the chapter tomorrow." Or, "Hey, it's 3am. That's perfect! This chapter 30,000 words long, so it should take me until 6am to properly proofread it, then I'll be able to release it when I'm done, as usual! Nice!", yeah no more of that shit lol.**

 **Anyway, all that shit aside, I've actually still been updating my main story [Red Dragon Of Golden Light] this past couple weeks, because it's currently undergoing its most important arc ever up to this point. So I have been focusing on that 100%. However, since this story seems to be EXTREMELY requested to update (like, the most out of all of them), I decided I should go ahead and update it. Besides, I think I'm feeling some inspiration on it to fuel me. This should be good.**

 **So yeah, I'm back. We're good. No one's quit, nothing's going away. No stories are cancelled.**

 **Also, this chapter is going to start with a recollection of all the things that happened on the second day of Issei's school year that was skipped last chapter. And then it will lead into the "Fallen Angel" stuff maybe less than halfway through.**

 **Let's get into it.**

* * *

 **-SCENE-**

…..

Blackness. Nothing but pitch black darkness. That was the only thing that could be interpreted by Hyoudou Issei. That, and a quiet, familiar voice.

《...I...se….》

A small voice. But it soon began to grow louder.

《...Ise….》

And clearer.

《Ise.》

—Until he was forcibly ripped from the darkness.

" _ **Ise!"**_

"AAH!"

…..

Issei's eyes abruptly shot open. His vision was hazed with light, but soon began to adjust. He was in a familiar place filled with soft sunlight. There was a person right in his face. A red haired woman.

"Ise! How many times do I have to tell you not to play with your food?!"

—No. It was his mother.

"...Eh?..."

"Mou! Hurry up and eat your breakfast! Rin will be coming over today, right? You want to be able to play soon, don't you?"

His mother asked that while walking back towards the sink, proceeding to wash dishes. Issei's mind still had yet to process his current state.

—He was in his home. His body was that of a child. Sitting at the kitchen table with a plate of food before him, and soft light from the early morning sun shining through the windows of the house.

"...What?..."

His mother turned her head back curiously.

"Ara. What's wrong, honey? You look scared. Did you have a bad dream?"

"...Bad…..dream?..."

—The memories of Issei's horrifying life began to pass through his mind.

"...Ah….ah…."

His left hand slowly placed itself over his right eye. A dream. It was all just a dream. Nothing more than a nightmare.

"Oh, what's wrong, sweety? What was the bad dream about?"

He lowered his head and began to weep quietly in a confused mixture of emotions. Relief being the most prominent.

"I….. I….. M-Mum was…. Pops…."

"Hm? Your father's at work, sweety."

"Ah….. Ah…"

"Tell mommy what's wrong, sweety."

Issei wiped his tears with shaky hands. His small body was trembling.

"..Uu.… Every day hurt…. Every day was scary…. I wanted to wake up so bad, but… I couldn't….. I could only keep thinking…. "Why me?"... "What did I do?"... But I also kept thinking, "It's all my fault"... And it all hurt so much… I couldn't stand it….. And Marie….. Marie was..!"

Issei clutched at his chest, as if in terrible pain. His mother placed some dishes in a tray to dry and continued washing casually. Though, her tone became less carefree and more gentle.

"Marie? Ah, that sweet girl… My little baby boy…. Even after all of that you're still so pure….. You loved her, didn't you?"

"Uu..! Marie was..! Uu..! Marie was—!"

—Issei's mind suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

"...Marie?..."

His expression shifted from one of pain to one of deep confusion. And even a shred of suspicion began to fester within his mind.

"Oh, honey…. On the inside, you're still just a sweet baby boy…. You still haven't let go, have you?... Not of her, or anyone else."

His mother spoke with an odd implication as she continued washing and putting dishes in the tray.

"M...Mum….. How do you know who Marie is?..."

"..It's not your fault. You've seen so many things you weren't supposed to witness. Gone through so many things you weren't supposed to suffer through. Done so many things you weren't supposed to be given as an option. There are parts of you that are wrong. But, it's not your fault that those parts exist. It was merely a matter of circumstance.."

"M-Mum?... W-What are you talking about?... How do you know about any of that?..."

"Most of all, you've lost things you weren't supposed to lose. Things that mattered to you more than anything. That's why you became the way you are. Because you didn't want to lose what little you had left. And every time you think that maybe you wouldn't, you would still lose it in the end. Isn't that why you've come back home, darling? So that you can unnoticeably lose your life one day. You don't fear losing something that no longer matters to you."

"M-Mum?"

"Yet despite already losing those things….. you still adamantly refuse to let them go…."

"...W….What?..."

"Tell me something, sweety….. When is it that you will let go?... Because the way it is now….. You don't have the strength to let go… But even more than that, you don't have the strength to keep holding us up either… The longer you do it, it will just hurt more and more…."

"M…...Mama?..."

His mother placed one last dish into the tray. The reflection of his adult self rested in it.

"Ise…"

His mother finally turned around to face him.

"My baby boy."

.

.

.

—Her body was drenched in blood.

" _ **Stop trying to cling to dead bodies with those broken fingers."**_

* * *

"—AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

[Partner!]

…

…

…

—The nightmare continues.

…

[Partner, are you alright?]

"...D….Ddraig?..."

[Yes, partner. I am here.]

"...W….Where…."

Issei's head slowly turned to scan the room. He realized that his eyes were caught on a familiar ceiling. Moving downwards, he was met with the interior of an almost nostalgic room.

"...H...Home?…"

[Are you alright, partner?]

Issei's vision moved down to his body. The broad and well built physique of a young man. An adolescent body dressed in only his boxer shorts and covered in sweat. His hands were shivering as well. And on his bare chest sat something that was hanging from the chain around his neck.

"...Ah…"

Upon laying his eyes on it, he realized.

—Of course. It was not a dream. It was indeed a never ending nightmare.

"...Haah…"

Issei sighed deeply.

—His second day of his homecoming had begun.

* * *

 **-Day 2-**

"Haa!"

Issei heard the sounds of seemingly wooden objects bashing against each other as he entered the building. Turning the corner of a short hall, he seemed to find the epicenter of the place he was looking for.

A large place that closely resembled a well kempt martial arts dojo. It had multiple sections at its centre clearly purposed for sparring matches, and many women standing at the sidelines with similar looking equipment. Headgear, black padded armor, bokken, and attire similar to training Gi. He recognizes this equipment. [Bogu], [shinai], [kendogi], and [hakama].

—This place was the Kendo club.

"Hey, you!"

Issei's attention was caught by a girl who seemed to notice him enter the large training room. Many of the other members of the club looked to be spectating a sparring match taking place at one of the centre spaces.

"What are you doing here?! This place is for Kendo club members only! What are you, some kind of pervert, huh!"

Issei raised a brow at the girl's overly hostile reaction. Perhaps there was some sort of standard or prejudice that these girls held due to unknown events.

"Hm? Ah, no, I'm—"

"—Captain! We've got a pervert here!"

She quickly announced his presence loudly before he could finish, as if catching a criminal red handed. It seems that whatever prejudice they had was a passionate one. A majority of the members around heard the announcement and quickly turned their heads.

"What?! Another pervert?!"

"A new peeping tom!?"

A small batch of women began to surround him while holding onto their bokken menacingly.

"No, well, it's a misunderstanding. I'm not—"

"Wait!"

Before the hostile majority could get close to him, they were interrupted by a voice.

"Hold on, everyone."

The group split down the middle to reveal a familiar figure.

"Ah."

It was the pink haired captain of the Kendo club. The girl known as Katase.

"Ise-kun! So it was you!"

Katase approached Issei while removing her headgear. The girls around lost their hostile attitudes and replaced them with curious ones.

"Ah, Katase-san."

"Mou. Didn't I say you could just call me Katase?"

"Ah, right. My bad. I had forgotten."

"Well, it's no biggie."

"Captain, you know this guy?"

One of the girls asked the question that was sitting prominently within most of the member's minds. Katase nodded.

"Yeah, he's in my class. He's the new transfer student."

Though Issei's face was expressionless, he bowed his head respectfully.

"Hyoudou Issei. I just transferred in yesterday."

[Ooh!]

Many of the club members began to whisper amongst themselves in realization.

"It's the new transfer student..! I heard about him..! What's he doing here?"

"Hey, hey, did you know? Apparently, he's that kid from the news that saved a boy from a serial killer years back."

"Woah, is it just me or are his eyes really sharp? Maybe I'm just seeing things wrong?"

"Hey, he's like, super tall. And his torso is big. It's kind of intimidating. You think he works out?"

Those were the things they whispered.

"Super tall", indeed. To be fair, Issei is currently 185cm tall. A towering figure compared to many of the female students in the Academy's majority population. He also does happen to "work out", though, not according to any conventional (human) standards. As for his eyes, according to Ddraig, that is the result of the Sekiryuutei's aura influencing his body. It's the same reason his growth spurt was so drastic and his body is naturally stronger than regular humans, despite supposedly having the same composition.

Due to Issei having high compatibility and high potential with the Boosted Gear, the influence on his body and soul is higher. Ergo, the reason why his eyes almost come close to looking reptilian in nature. Luckily for him, they don't visibly change or become narrow enough to notice the difference until his instincts heighten or focus, like a predator. Or even more likely, when he is angered. At the very least, he's now in well enough control of his power to no longer need contacts to cover his right, Dragon's eye. However, like Satoshi, Issei has come to dislike taking chances— since his eye can become Dragonic looking if he becomes enraged or malicious— he still wears the contact lens just in case. But if he releases too much of his power or aura, then there's no way to hide its true nature even under the lens, especially considering that scales begin to appear around his eye as well.

Also, Issei's practically 70kg of pure muscle, so he doesn't blame them for being intimidated by his appearance alone at all.

"So, Ise-kun. What's up? Did you come to check the club out?"

"Yeah. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all. I did say you could come after all. I should've given you a proper heads up on everyone though. The majority of the girls at school have a burning hatred for perverts thanks to those two idiots, Matsuda and Motohama. They're always peeping on us in particular. So this could've turned ugly real quick if I wasn't here. My bad."

And so, the reason is revealed.

"No, it's fine. I shouldn't have shown up unannounced. Sorry."

Katase raised a pleasantly surprised brow at his earnest apology.

"You know, Ise-kun— even though I was impressed by you when we first met, I still thought you were kinda scary. You're big, your voice is emotionless, and your blank face has that look that says [don't talk to me]. But, for someone so intimidating, you don't act or talk like you look. You're actually pretty nice."

"Is that so? I guess I do look like a bad guy."

Issei agreed blankly while scratching his chin. Katase began waving her hands around frantically.

"Eh? A-Ah, no, no..! That's not what I meant at all! I just meant that you're kind of imposing— Ah! No, not like that! Just— you know, your figure, I guess…"

"No, it's fine. It's just looks. Nothing you can do about it. "

' _It's not like you're entirely wrong after all…'_

"Huh? What's going on here?"

A new voice interrupted the conversation from behind Issei's large form. Stepping aside, Issei turned to reveal another woman dressed in the Kendo bogu attire. Katase was the first to realize it.

"Ah, Murayama! There you are. You're late, you know?"

The brown haired girl referred to as Murayama spoke tiredly.

"Yeah, sorry. I got here a bit late and just finished changing. Kaa-chan was really nagging me. God, she can be so annoying sometimes."

Issei's right eye twitched subtly.

"—You should appreciate them more."

"Huh?"

There was a short pause. Issei had spoken without thinking. He shut his right eye and averted his gaze awkwardly.

"...No, sorry… It's none of my business.."

Despite the fact that it had nothing to do with him, he couldn't help but interject. Her words had simply echoed through his head like the inside of an empty cave. He was here, at school, early. A fact that would have him considered as being a "good student". But, deep inside, he wishes he could have been late for the same reason as her.

"Um, anyway.."

Katase, aware of Issei's circumstances, decided to cut the tension, for his sake.

"Murayama, this is Hyoudou Issei-kun. He's the new transfer student. The one you didn't get to meet, since you were absent yesterday. You know, the one I told you about."

Murayama made an expression of realization.

"Oh..! The one from TV! I was getting texts about it all day that the new kid was the guy who fought off the Nagoya serial killer! So this is him..!"

"No, well... It was more of: "I defended myself" from the serial killer and happened to run away with the kidnap victim. That was really it. Not really much of a fight, since I was just a kid."

[Ha. So the boy says.]

Even with Issei's denial, Murayama seemed deeply compelled by his presence.

"Even so, that's amazing! You met the prime minister, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did. I met the police commissioner from the Aichi prefectural department first. That's the guy who gave me the medal. Then it somehow became news once the killer was found dead and I somehow ended up becoming a nationally recognizable for like 2 years."

"A medal!? What kind of medal was it?! Was it heavy?!"

"Ah.."

Issei gave an awkward smile as Murayama suddenly came close to him and looked up at him with stars in her eyes.

"Well… It was a gold medal…. Not too big, but it's kinda heavy. Or at least, it was, when I was a kid…. And it was a medal of 'honorary recognition' or something… It's a medal they give to civilians who did great stuff like stopping a hostage situation or bomb threat or whatever…"

"That's amazing!"

"Yeah, thanks…"

Issei couldn't help but turn his face away, considering that Murayama was uncomfortably close to him. The last time a girl was this close to his face was when Tsubomi tried to kiss him and ended up bumping her head on his chin.

Murayama was pulled back, by her collar, by Katase.

"Hey, cut it out, Murayama. Can't you see you're intimidating him?"

"Eh?! Me?! No way! Isn't that, like, backwards?!"

Issei could only smile wryly. Some part of her reminded him of someone. So much that he laughed.

"Haha, you're really annoyi—"

….

—Ise was in his uncle's house.

"Who are you calling annoying?!"

—Marie pouted at him with her hands on her hips.

…..

"I said, who are you callin' annoying?!"

—He was back in the Kendo club.

"...What?"

"I said! Who are you calling annoying?! That's a pretty rude thing to say to someone you just met, you know!"

Though Murayama was yelling at him, she didn't really seem that angry from her body language and amused smirk. Issei was still left in the past for a short while before realizing it. Katase deadpanned at Murayama's response.

"No, well… It's because you are annoying, Murayama."

"Eeeeeeeeeeh?!"

Many of the Kendo club members laughed at Murayama's expense. Issei shook off his confusion, properly returning to reality.

"I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking straight."

Murayama raised a brow at his apology.

"Hm? It's no biggie though. I wasn't thinking that deep about it. More importantly, I thought this before but, how come you're here? I asked once already, but what exactly is happening? Is Hyoudou-kun here for some sort of reason?"

Katase nodded her head to Murayama's question.

"Yup! Yesterday, I let Ise-kun know that he should come check out the club sometime. Since he told me he was a pro martial artist, and practiced professional swordsmanship, I thought it'd be cool to let him give us a look. Sorry. Shoulda' given you a heads up about it."

"Oh, really? Wait, are you a professional swordsman, Hyoudou-kun?!"

Murayama turned back to Issei with the stars returning in her pupils.

"Uh, well, kinda. It's not really that "I am a swordsman" as much as I was "trained" by one."

"Is that so? By who?"

—An elegant silhouette of a swordsman came into his mind. One with silky, short, red hair.

"...By a friend…."

"Heeeeh~ I bet he was amazing, huh."

Issei's right eye shut as he whispered under his breath.

"...Yeah…. She was…."

Though it went largely unnoticed, Katase couldn't help but hold an interested gaze at Issei's almost nostalgic attitude. A nostalgia laden with sorrow.

She shook her head.

"Ahem— Anyway. Ise-kun is here now. So, girls, what do you say? Should we show him what the Kendo club is all about?"

Murayama threw her fist in the air enthusiastically.

"Yeah!"

The rest of the club reciprocated her action.

[Yeah!]

Katase smiled competitively towards Issei.

"Now. Ise-kun, whaddya say we have a little spar? Maybe you could show us a bit what those swordsmanship skills are about?"

Shaking off his previous attitude, Issei raised an amused brow.

"Hoh? Interesting…. I guess it's alright to let the poodles play with the dire wolves once in a while."

This time, it was Katase who raised an amused brow.

"Ohoho! Looks like the big, sleeping dog has some bite in him, huh? Didn't think ya had it in ya, wan-chan~."

"Ha. Well, when you have an olympic gorilla woman as one of your best friends, you gotta learn a few tricks to keep your skin on. I'm more worried about the pink little poodle who's about to get their pelt shaved off."

"Is that an analogy to getting me naked, Ise-kun? I'll tell ya that we don't take very kindly to perverts around here."

"Who wants to see a shaven dog? It's just gonna pink on the skin anyways, so what's the difference?"

Even though Issei was just bantering and held no sexual implication in his words, Katase's competitive expression became slightly red.

"Oh, just you wait. Soon enough, I'm gonna get you to stop winking at me, because that eye of yours will be permanently shut."

"Hm? Winki…. Ah, right…. Well, I can tell ya that the last guy who tried that…...Let's just see if this eye is colored black by the end of the day."

"Bring it!"

* * *

A few hours later:

"...Uuu…."

Katase sat in class, during lunch break, with a depressed attitude, her head down on her desk, and a blue atmosphere of depression hovering over her. Murayama, who sat in the desk beside her, attempted to comfort her friend.

"What's wrong, Katase? Are you still sad that Ise-kun beat you 3 times in under 10 seconds?"

Katase gave an exasperated and depressed groan. Whether her friend was actually teasing her was still up for debate.

"Uuugh…"

"Are you also sad that he called your movements "too stiff", "not fluid", and, "your guard is amateurishly non-flexible"?"

With every comment, Katase slumped further and further in her seat.

"Uuuugggh…"

"Oh, come on. Look on the bright side. He said you would only last 5 seconds the first time, but you actually ended up lasting 7 seconds. That's a good thing, right?"

"Uuuuuuugghh…."

"You're pride is damaged, and you also feel emasculated? But you're a girl."

"Uuuuuuuuggghhh..!"

"You're also sad about the last spar? The one where he said it would end if either one of you got a single hit, to which you completely missed every attack, and he gave you one good hit at the last second? —But in trying to hit your leg to make you go down, he accidentally ended up smacking your butt with the shinai, because the appearance of the Bogu made it hard for him to tell where the leg starts and the butt ends? And you screamed with a red fac—"

"—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Murayama was silenced by Katase's muffled, but loud screech. The rest of the classmates eating around them subsequently sat in silence for the remainder of the break.

* * *

 **Part 2**

Issei walked through the school during lunch break, searching for a quiet place to eat his lunch. There were quite a few students who asked him if he would like to join them, but he politely declined, feeling that he would be intruding. Due to his non-expressive, and possibly "dull" attitude, he could only see himself bringing down the atmosphere. Though, he practically felt that way in every situation. In fact…

— _It wouldn't be wrong to say that he thought of his existence as a negative influence, in general._

"Hm?"

Issei stopped. He was about to circle around the new school building, possibly to sit and eat on a grassy hillside that had no one there. However, his instincts sent him the subconscious signal that he was being watched. He turned to check behind him.

There were no students around, for the most part. Some students walking around, in the distance. Some clubs practicing. At the very least, no one was near him, or paying him any attention.

Issei's eyes shifted towards one of the trees outside of the school building. He stared at it silently for a few seconds.

….

"Are you going to keep following me?"

Issei said that to no one. —No. There certainly was someone listening. A small body emerged from behind the tree.

"...You…"

Issei vaguely recognized the short figure.

—It was one of the Devils. The "mascot" of the Academy, "Toujou Koneko".

They stood there in silence, staring at each other with similarly blank expressions. Though, Issei was looking at her a bit disinterestedly, through his one open eye.

…..

"Why are you standing so far away? You think I'm gonna kill you here or what?

Issei spoke to her flatly. Her attitude seemed cautious, despite her stoic face. Even her body was slightly stiff.

After a pause, the Devil stepped a bit closer to him, while still leaving a meter distance between them.

Another silence grew between the two.

…..

"Did your master have you follow me around?"

The girl did not respond. She merely kept her stoic expression untouched and remained silent.

"...Mm?"

Issei's eye caught onto something in her hand. A cloth. Or rather, a rectangular box wrapped in cloth. A boxed bento.

"I heard from some kids that you're the one who eats a lot. You havin' lunch while followin' me?"

Due to finding it a bit interesting, Issei unconsciously let his old Nagoya accent slip out a bit.

—Again, the girl did not answer.

….

For an unknown reason, Issei felt compelled to lift his bento and ask:

"Wanna join me?"

…..

* * *

 _ **Chirp~ chirp~**_

Issei sat in mostly comfortable silence as he ate, sitting on a green hillside overlooking the back courtyard of the new school building. He was, of course, not eating alone.

"Guess you don't talk much either, huh?"

Issei commented blankly. The white haired loli beside him, Toujou Koneko, did not answer. She continued eating her own lunch, a meter apart from him, with a side of snacks, silently.

—At first, Issei wasn't sure why he had asked her if she wanted to have lunch together. But at this point, he's convinced himself that it was most likely because he was curious. Something about this Devil was off compared to the others.

"You were tasked with keepin' an eye on me, huh?"

Issei asked her in a flat tone. She, of course, did not answer.

"….."

He spoke again, after a long pause.

"You were hidin' pretty good there. I couldn't sense your presence, but I felt your gaze. I'm pretty good when it comes to sensing things. How'd ya do that?"

Finished with her lunch, she merely continued snacking on her sweets, still not answering his questions.

…

After the swath of silence passed, Issei finally heard the girl speak.

"...I could not sense you either…."

She said it in a low, flat tone. Issei was surprised to hear her voice for a moment. Nevertheless, he replied.

"Mm…. Well, practice makes perfect, I guess. I just had to learn it good. Now, I can pretty much do it in my sleep."

After his reply, there was no response from Koneko, effectively cutting off the conversation. Even with her comment, it almost felt completely one sided.

Issei's left eye, which was the only one open, peered down to observe Koneko. Just like before, her body was quite stiff. Despite being in a fairly relaxed position, she was sitting a meter away from him, and her posture made it look as if she was ready to retreat at any moment.

—For some reason, noticing these sorts of details, they itched at Issei's head. Even when being shut, his eye twitched.

"...Do I scare you?..."

Without thinking, Issei felt compelled to ask her that. Even when he knew she wouldn't answer, he still continued.

"...Do I freak you out?..."

….

"Do I look like some sort of—

— **Monster**?"

…

A long silence permeated the air after Issei's question. The word echoed in his mind, quickly eliminating all sound from the world after being spoken. Soon enough, the only thing Issei could hear— was the sound of something building. A deep, low, bellowing sound. The sound that resembles what an old wooden house sounds like when it creeks during a storm. But it was a continuous sound. A small sound with gradual buildup. Slowly but surely, it began to grow louder and louder— and as it did, he could see many images representing different concepts appear in his vision. And every image progressively became darker and more brutal than the last.

Blood— Death— Pain— Hatred— Sorrow— Madness—

.

.

.

.

— _ **MONSTER**_.

"No."

Issei was suddenly returned to the real world.

…..

 _ **Chirp~ chirp~**_

…..

…..

It took awhile for Issei to process the short answer that Koneko had given him. After that, he merely shook his head, feeling some sweat on his forehead.

"...Is….that so?..."

The silence promptly returned.

…

This time, it was Koneko who asked a question.

"...Do I "freak you out"?..."

"Huh?"

Issei furrowed his brows in confusion after hearing the question. She was asking him the same question. Though she asked it in the same stoic manner as everything else, he sensed a bit of hesitation from her.

Regardless, he replied.

"...No, why would you?"

There was a pause before she answered.

"...If you knew what I was, then I might have…."

Hearing that— Issei had a brief laugh.

"Hahaha!"

He couldn't help but find the cruel irony of the statement as amusing to him.

"No…"

And as if finding it painfully funny, he smiled softly at nothing.

"...Trust me, I wouldn't…."

Another long bout of silence passed before one of them spoke again. It was Issei who spoke first.

…

"...So, it doesn't freak you out that you can't sense me?"

"...Does it freak you out that you can't sense me?"

"You probably just got something different than other Devils, right? So— Not really. No."

"...Then, no.."

Issei's mouth curved into a brief smirk before fading. He stared off into nothing, again. This time, the silence they sat in was just bit less uncomfortable.

…

Unconsciously, Issei found himself lying back onto the grass with his arms behind his head, in a relaxed position.

"So that name— [Toujou Koneko]— You come up with that one? Devils don't have names that are naturally Japanese, right? I mean, your ponytail friend has one, but that's cuz she's half, ain't she? However the hell that works. So what about you? "Koneko" is obviously not a real name. It's too on the nose, ain't it? Unless it's a nickname, which would make a hell of a lot more sense. In any case— what's your real name?"

Looking up into the clear sky, Issei didn't think too deeply about his question. Based on logical deduction, he believed it was clear to tell that his conclusion was fairly sound.

However, he didn't receive an answer. Oddly enough, he was a bit surprised to not have heard one. Surprised enough that, he looked over to Koneko in curiosity.

Her position was relatively the same, but she somehow seemed a bit hunched over. As if trying to mask her expression, her face was covered in a light shadow. Within the long silence, he heard a small mutter.

"...It is my name…."

"Hm? What was that? I couldn't hear y—"

—Without saying anything more, Koneko promptly stood up, and walked away.

"Ah….. She left…"

Seeing that there was no helping it, Issei lied back down on the grass.

"Oh well…."

He stared out into the blue sky once more. He couldn't help but remember that blue was always Maki's favorite color. Though, she preferred darker shades.

[She is different from the other Devils. There is something in her nature that is inhuman.]

' _I know.'_

[Do you believe it holds water?]

' _What?'_

[Her statement. The one she made about her true nature. Do you believe it holds any weight?]

The line repeated in Issei's mind.

 _("Do I freak you out?...If you knew what I was, then I might have…..")_

"...Heh…"

In the end…

' _No..'_

—There is only one monster that frightens him.

' _Not at all...'_

* * *

 **Part 3**

"Mmm…"

Issei cracked his neck as he crossed a bridge. His second school day ended without incident, thankfully. He considered the run in with the Devil "Koneko" as inconsequential and thought nothing of it.

There were still many curious students bombarding him with questions, but he didn't mind for the most part. The odd boys known as the "Perverted duo" were quite persistent with their inappropriate questions however.

And tomorrow, he'll have to visit the Devils, as promised. For whatever reason.

' _Whaddya think they'll ask me?'_

[There a few things, considering that they no longer deem you a dangerous threat. Most likely, they will continue to pursue you as a permanent ally. Should an opportunity for an advantage present itself, a Devil will take it. Such is their nature. Of course, this depends on what their meeting is about. Which was?]

' _Ugh… How annoying… Um, I don't know. Something about "coexist", or whatever…'_

"A-A-Ano!"

—Issei's train of thought halted at the sound of a voice. He stopped.

"Hm?"

He turned his head back.

' _A woman?'_

He was met with an unfamiliar young girl in a uniform he didn't recognize. He didn't care to closely inspect the details, but he surely didn't know of any school brandishing the same image.

"A-A-A-A-Are you Hyoudou Issei?"

She asked him in a shaky tone with a nervous attitude that seemed overly fake to him. There was even a strong blush on her face, but he still felt it was forced somehow.

' _Didn't I know some girl back in middle school that could fake those?'_

Having almost no thought for the girl herself, Issei began reminiscing about mundane topics. Until Ddraig quickly snapped him out of it.

[Partner. This woman is not human.]

' _Mm? Ah, yeah, no shit. Who cares. Let's just go home.'_

[Wait, partner. She could be trying to hunt you. This could be the day.]

Issei's mind came to a stop.

….

He turned his body fully to face her.

"Um…"

Issei rubbed the back of his neck lazily.

"What do you want, Fallen Angel?"

—There was a long silence after his question.

….

….

….

"...W-What?"

Issei asked again, in a disinterested tone.

"I said, what do you want, Fallen Angel?"

The girl's face went pale, but she continued with her shy persona. She tilted her head with a confused smile, but there was an obvious bead of sweat on her head.

"W-What are you talking about, Issei-kun? F-Fallen what?"

Issei scratched his neck with a bored expression.

"I didn't confirm that I was Hyoudou Issei yet."

"...Eh?"

To that, the girl's face went blank, as if realizing the mistake.

' _...Ddraig, I'm talking to a buffoon.'_

[It would seem so.]

With a quick slide of his heel, Issei turned to walk away.

"A-Ah, w-wait! I know you because I've asked around! A-And, I always see you around here!"

' _I've been here for one day…'_

Issei sighed in annoyance.

"—So I was wondering—!"

—Before she could finish, Issei's form was already towering over her.

"Wondering what, crow woman?"

"..?!"

The girl fell back onto the ground in shock. For a split second, when her bottom hit the ground, she made an expression of pain. But for some reason, her expression looked like it flashed between a mature appearance and a young one.

"Sorry. Did I scare you? Wasn't sure if any of your bosses deemed me a "scarecrow" yet."

The girl looked up at him with absolute confusion.

"W….Wha—"

"—Cut the shit, Angel face. What's your motive? What, did the big guys not tell you who I was? If they didn't, then I got bad news for ya, but they probably sent ya out here to die."

The information didn't seem to be processing in the girl's mind properly. Issei sighed.

He extended his hand.

"Get up."

"..."

With a long pause of confused hesitation, the girl took his hand and stood up. She stared at him silently, as if in a confused daze.

' _Ddraig, what's the chances of this Fallen just being some random bimbo?'_

[Not terribly low, partner. There are many Fallen who simply wish to live their lives indulging in their desires rather than serve military purpose. This is most especially true if what my previous host learned about the 'great war' ending was true. Unlike Devils and Angels, it is not uncommon for Fallen Angels to be living as they please. It could very well be the case that this is nothing more than a random encounter.]

' _Heeeeeh…'_

Issei pointed his thumb behind him.

"Follow."

"—Eh?"

Without waiting for a response, Issei turned and began walking away. The Fallen Angel girl was left standing there for a moment. Until Issei turned his head back and called her out.

"Oi, what're you doing? Get up here."

The girl shook her head. Finally being able process the current situation, the girl's expression shifted. From an expression of confusion, to a cold, calculated one.

Not failing to notice, Issei's eyes narrowed slightly.

' _There she is…'_

Taking a step forward, she began following Issei. Issei calmly walked forward with a couple meters distance between the two. He looked around to find a suitable place for them to converse. But the only place he found himself slowly approaching…

—Was the same park he played at on that fateful day.

…

Nevertheless, Issei made his way towards it, with the girl following behind him.

At this point, it was already sunset— just like that day. Around the same time as when it first happened, he found himself walking into that accursed place. The place he could see sometimes when looking out into a sunset. The place he could hear when listening to the sounds of metallic chains creaking, like the chains of a playground swing. The place he could sometimes feel when sand touched against the bottom of his shoes.

A place he could never forget.

[This should be far enough, partner. There are no humans around this place.]

Issei stopped with Ddraig's confirmation. Not too far off in front of him was a beautifully designed water fountain, not too dissimilar from the one at the Academy. He didn't necessarily recognize it, but he vaguely recalled that there was one in said park.

It even reminded him of something. Being so unconcerned with the current situation, he began to reminisce about an event in his past. Once, when he and Marie had visited an aquarium together. In the courtyard of the aquarium, there was a beautiful and large water fountain….

 _("Ooh! Écaille! Look! It's a beautiful water fountain! It's so tall and refined! There are many couples taking pictures next to it! —Oh! I want a picture next to it!")_

 _("Huh? No way. I don't wanna look like a couple.")_

 _("Pleeeeeeaaase let us take a picture there together! S'il vous plaît, mon amour! Just one!")_

 _("What did you just call me? —No, more importantly: Why the hell do you wanna take a picture so bad? Just cuz the other couples are doing it?")_

 _("Yes! And because I've never seen such a beautiful fountain before in my life! It is such a romantic expression of love! It would mean so much to me if we took one! I would cherish it forever! There could be no greater scenery than this, yet!")_

 _("[Yet]? —Ugh, man, you're annoying. What's so amazing about it anyway? It's just a damn fountain.")_

 _("...A picture is just a picture if you aren't thinking about the people in it…")_

 _("...")_

 _("...Can we please take one together?... Please?...")_

 _("...Yeah….It's fine….")_

 _("Thank you….")_

He still remembers that she clung tightly onto his arm for the rest of the day, after taking that picture. A part of him, deep inside, subconsciously wonders what it would take to get that smile ba—

"—How did you know of my nature, human?"

The girl behind him spoke in a threatening tone. Just by hearing her voice, it was obvious to tell that she was no longer the same.

"...Hmm…"

Issei's nose let out air from a small sigh. It was a light, yet heavy sigh, laden with sadness. Though, somewhere underneath that, there was a slight agitation. As if there sat a deep seeded frustration beneath the surface, due to having such a cherished memory unceremoniously interrupted by someone.

The girl— No, the woman. The woman behind him clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Tch. So you won't answer then? Fine. In the end, my intention was to kill you anyway. It won't change anything if you die."

 _ **Foom!**_

From out of the woman's back, two dark colored wings emerged. The black feathered wings of a Fallen Angel. Moreover, her appearance had already become something much different than before. A mature, buxom woman dressed in a skimpy BDSM outfit.

With one flap of her wings, she took to the sky and spawned something in the palm of her hand. A thin, jagged pink spear of light.

—Issei held no reaction to any of this.

"Is there something you'd like to say before you die, human?"

The woman asked Issei in a cold, but somewhat amused tone. Issei made no obvious movements. He merely stood in front of the fountain with his hands in his pockets, as if casually sightseeing.

However, he did speak.

"...[The man cursed with immortality feels sorrow upon realizing that even the strongest man cannot kill him]…."

"Huh?"

The woman raised a brow at his odd, poetic-like speech, beginning to assume that he simply lost his mind. In fairness, her assumption was not entirely false...

"...[I may not be immortal, but in that same sense, you are not the strongest man….. But even so… I am cursed with feeling the same sorrow stemmed from the yearning of something, the same sorrow the immortal man is plagued with….. Whether it is someone, or death itself, that I yearn for, that is]….. Well, I suppose it doesn't matter… It's just a stolen quote anyway…. But..."

The woman prepared to launch her attack.

"At least, the point still stands…."

She swiftly hurled the spear towards Issei and—

 _ **PIK!**_

—The spear was destroyed upon contact with his back.

 **[—?!]**

" **The point is that you cannot kill me**."

—And the eye of a monster was staring her down.

 _ **CHILLS!**_

A quick, but strong breeze blew through the trees. Many birds cawed as they quickly took off and flew into the sky, as if fleeing from something. The body of the Fallen Angel woman began shivering lightly.

—Issei was staring back up at her with dark shadows masking his face. Not a shred of his aura was being released from his body, yet it seemed as if the atmosphere around him had changed. No, there was an aura. It was simply so oppressive that it encompassed the entire area around the two. Through nothing but the look in his eyes, an intent beyond comprehension could be vaguely interpreted. Simply by gazing into his eyes, it could be understood that there was something malicious sleeping deep inside. But more than that, a dim red light peeked through the darkness on the right side of his expression. A red, glowing orb with a sharp slit for an iris.

The eye of a reptilian— The eye of a serpent— The eye of a Dragon—

— _The eye of a beast staring down at her from the sky above her head._

"...W…..What….are you?..."

Through all of her undeniable subconscious fear, and all of her instinct to flee, she uttered the one question in her mind.

Issei turned fully towards her and lifted his left arm up near his chest. A brief flash of green light shined from him. When it faded, all that was left was a red gauntlet with a green jewel.

" **Do you really want to know**?"

 **[—?!]**

The Fallen Angel woman immediately felt the weight of creation pull down on her body. As if something with symbolic meaning, a certain memory flashed through her mind.

 _("Raynare. You know why I've called you, right? It's about the new surveillance mission. I want you on it.")_

 _("Y-Yes, Azazel-sama! Of course! What is it that you need me to do?")_

 _("Nothing too fantastic. I simply want you to observe the subject as detailed on the form. It's one that could be a problematic case, depending on the current circumstances. I deemed it something 'inconsequential' at the time, but it's surely different by now. I just want to know how different.")_

 _("I see..! Leave this mission to me, Azazel-sama. I will certainly make you proud!")_

 _("Ah, well, no need to go that far. But it's good that you have that mentality. Just be careful, alright? This is merely an observation objective. No need to get caught up in anything messy. It's best we don't take any chances on this subject. So don't do anything drastic, if you can avoid it. If anything goes wrong, just have [Bal] called in. Otherwise, good luck.")_

 _("Yes! Thank you, Azazel-sama! I will do my best!")_

 _("Ah, wait, Raynare. I just wanted to make it clear.")_

 _("Hm? Yes, what is it?")_

— _ **("Don't do anything stupid.")**_

 **[—?!]**

Feeling that she had suddenly lost all strength in her wings, Raynare fell straight to the ground and landed harshly on her bottom.

 _ **Thud!**_

Not even caring to process the slight pain, due to having a mind clouded with the fear of death, Raynare stared at the figure before her in horror. Despite being distanced more than 3 meters away, she could only interpret the figure as being uncomfortably close, to the point of which it just seemed like it was growing in size in front of her.

That was until she realized that he had begun speaking steps forward.

 _ **Step**_ ….

 **[—?!]**

Her instincts completely overpowered any sense of pride Raynare had. And for that reason, she immediately began to grovel before him.

"I-I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I've made a mistake! I was merely being foolish! I-I mean no harm or insult to you! P-Please forgive me, Sekiryuutei-sama!"

Overwhelmed by the fear of what may come or what she may see, she kept her forehead pressed against the concrete, effectively prostrating herself perfectly before him. Because she refused to look up, she would not be able to interpret the dark figure towering over her with a cold blooded gaze. However, she could feel its presence looming over as if she were watching it do so clearly.

—Issei continued gazing down at her with one light brown eye, and one red glowing eye, but both were filled with darkness. A cold, calculated stare that could be compared with one of a predator inspecting its prey.

"Who are you, and what is your alignment?"

Issei, taking the form of beast in the unidentified woman's eyes, asked callously. His entire demeanor gave the impression that anything that defied him would perish.

Without lifting her head, the Fallen Angel woman finally identified herself to Issei.

"I-I am Raynare! My benefactor is the Fallen Angel organization, Grigori!"

Not having consideration for the thought that this being could pose a threat to her organization, she revealed her alignment without hesitation. Only her basic survival instincts were functioning at the moment.

"Raynare. [Grigori], huh. So— What's the pigeons wantin' from me, eh? What's your mission supposed to be? Depending on your answer you might **die** here though."

Flooded with the image of her own death at the mention of the concept, she answered almost immediately, with a sense of obedience in her tone.

"M-My intention was only to observe the Sekiryuutei! I was—!"

Her explanation was cut short when she foolishly lifted her head to speak.

" **I didn't ask your intentions. You made that quite clear yourself, didn't you, vixen?** "

 **[—?!]**

Her head practically slammed against the floor with how quickly she brought it back down. If it hadn't been already, her entire body was now visibly trembling.

"Hm…. So that means you've disobeyed orders, I guess…. Heh... Tell me, "Raynare"... Was it worth losing your life?"

Raynare's legs quivered violently from under her. She unconsciously lifted her head again and began begging for her life. She was so overcome with fear that there was even a smile present on her face, and tears were building up in her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry! Forgive me, Sekiryuutei-sama! I was foolish! I wasn't thinking! I would never have done such a thing under normal circumstances! B-But, I was just following orders! That's right! Even though my intention was to observe, I was being pressured by my superiors to go beyond the call of duty! It was suggested that I would be commended for taking such actions! I was influenced by their authority! I would never have done such a thing if I had the choice!"

It went silent after her dishonest plea. An overbearing silence that allowed something imaginary to be heard. Issei looked up to the sky with a hollow expression. He could hear a deep creaking sound begin to grow within his mind. Starting as low as a whisper and building up enough that it overpowered the sound of his own heart. The only image in his mind— was a bloody, brutal one.

….

Slowly, with a disturbing creak, only his eyes shifted back down to the form of Raynare. His glowing, red eye and cold stare did not fail to send chills up her spine.

"...Looks like you really were sent out here to die then….. Since I'm in a bad mood now, after all…."

 **[—?!]**

Once again, Raynare prostrated herself without hesitation.

"N-No, please, Sekiryuutei-sama! Please forgive me! Forgive me for my foolish actions! I was simply following the orders of my superiors! I was—!"

As Raynare continued pleading for her life, she could feel a darkness growing over her. Though she could not see it, there was the pitch black claw of a monster, 30 times her size, hovering right over her head. It began slowly descending onto her, getting closer and closer with every second, only causing her to feel an ever greater desperation.

"I'M SORRY! I'M TRULY SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR BEING SO FOOLISH SEKIRYUUTEI-SAMA! I'LL DO ANYTHING! PLEASE, SEKIRYUUTEI-SAMA!"

The large, black hand spread its sharp fingers outward, extending over her entirely, and masking her body in as black of a shadow as the hand itself. Holding itself above her, the claw was ready to snatch her life away in one moment.

"PLEASE, SEKIRYUUTEI-SAMA!"

In the end, all she could envision..

"I—!"

—Was her own death.

" _ **I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"**_

—The world stopped.

.

.

.

.

.

.

In the silence of Issei's mind, a long forgotten memory violently crashed in. The memory of a man. An American man with blond hair. He had green robes of Genesis covering his body, but his face was clear to see. He was a man that Issei had already met once before killing him. The man who had a son. A son who wore blue shoes representing the brand of Tokusatsu show that Maki watched. And a shoe that also happened to be in Maki's favorite color.

….

Both of these humans, just like many others before them— Both father and son—

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 _ **I̝̍͋̓͑͑̉̑ ̵͉͓̲͈͉͖̳̥̌ͩͫ̎D̡͔̜̱̪͙̙̼̰̞ͫ̿̽ͮͩ̊O̶͕͎͓̩ͬͣ̌̽̇̆̏N̺͐̋͟'̢̙̳͓ͣ͌̓ͧ͋̒ͧT̬̯̼̭͇͇̝̰̬ͦ̊͊͗̎̀ ̷̙̤̔͂̎̈́̊ͮ͑̚̚Ẉ̢̘͈̞͉͓̪͈͌̌ͭ͂̒ͬ͠A̭̯͍̙̙̗̺ͮ̐ͫ͂ͣͩͬͬ̃ͅN̾̍ͣ͌̒͏̮̦̤̮̖T̰̖͍̪̖̦ͩ̂̆͑ͥ̀̋̌ ͍̗͖̝̙̪̗͕͂̔̉̔͛͂̚T̮̰̞̩̝̰͉͎̚͠O̫̥̜̲̊ͬͤ̊ͧ̒ͩͅͅ ̰̓̋ͩ̂̒̋͋̐Ḑ̼̱͓̩̻̲̳̐̇Ḯ̛̬̗͈Ë̸͔̼́̉ͮ́!̵̞̫̯̩̫̗͗̈ͬ͆ͨ̓ͦ̐͠**_

.

.

— **Were slain by a monster.**

 _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHH!**_

"—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Issei clutched at his head as the piercing sound of a screech scrambled his brain. Countless images and sounds from terrors left in his subconscious, violently brought themselves to the surface. He shrieked in pain, and more in horror, for all of the terrible visions he was being subjected to.

Raynare sensed an opportunity for escape, but unfortunately, her entire body refused to move her from her spot. She was stuck in place, as if her instincts knew better than to defy the orders given to her.

The screeching and visions in Issei's head continued, but not for long. The moment he clutched at the cross hanging from his chest, everything began to become less violent, and the mental barrage started to fade. Second by second, the sounds would gradually become quieter, and the flashes of images would become even more brief with increasing intervals between each. There was even times when the image of something pleasant would quickly flash through, before disappearing again. Or rather, someone pleasant…

"Hah….Haah…"

Issei caught his breath as the attack on his mental state ceased. With only a few quick inhales, he was able to return to his relatively normal state.

[Are you alright, partner?]

 _'Yeah….. I am… Just like always.'_

[What will you do with the Fallen?]

Issei looked down at Raynare. She of course, immediately brought her head back down, as to avoid eye contact. Having finally regained his composure, Issei's dark expression returned.

 _'Send a message...'_

He leaned down onto his knee, bringing himself close to Raynare. With great force, he grabbed onto her head and pulled her up from her hair.

"AAAH!"

Raynare shrieked in a mixture of pain and fear. Upon opening her eyes, she realized…

—She was face to face with the figure bathed in darkness. His monstrous red eye bore into her very soul.

" **Tell your "boss": If you wanna kill me, come get me yourself, coward**."

 **[—?!]**

Issei released his grip on Raynare and stood upright. He said only one last thing to her.

"Get out of my sight."

"...!?"

The moment Issei gave that order, Raynare unfurled her wings and practically blasted herself off, getting as far away as she could within mere seconds.

 _ **FOOM!**_

Issei was left behind as the small cloud of dust cleared near his feet. He stood there, silently.

…

…

 _'Ddraig…. Do you think I should have killed her?..'_

[You know of me well enough, partner. I dislike mindless killings. A rampage is only a rampage with purpose. Whether that be to fight strong foes or one sparked from vengeance is the matter that concerns me. However, to kill or hunt mindlessly, with no thought, I find it as an act of cowardice. Most especially if it is the hunting and killing of those much weaker, who pose relatively no threat. There is truly no purpose in such slaughter. I would rather sleep.]

…

Issei looked up to the dimming sky once more.

 _'I thought so...'_

* * *

"Haah!... Haaah!"

Raynare finally came to a stop next to a random tree. Looking up, she could see the abandoned church she recently acquired as a personal base, a bit further up the hill. It was only now that she realized it was early night time, and she had fled so blindly that she ended up returning straight to the base without even thinking. Her only thoughts were to get away as far as possible.

"Haah.."

She placed her back against the tree and slid down to the floor, finally feeling the physical and mental exhaustion.

 _'I have to report back to Azazel-sama…'_

Only giving herself a short break, Raynare brought herself back to her feet and prepared to leave. But…

(—!)

 _'No wait..!'_

She switched her gaze to the church.

 _'That's right! The operation with Donasheek and the others! I can't go back now! The "excommunicated witch" will be arriving in a week's time! I have to go through with the operation!'_

 ** _Don!_**

Raynare slammed her fist against the tree.

"Damn..!"

 _'By now, they're sure to have realized that the "Sacred Gear removing artifact" is gone. If I go back now, I will no doubt be considered a suspect! Originally, I had planned to use the retrieval of that woman's "ability", and the killing of the "observation subject" as justification for my actions— But, who would have thought that it was the Sekiryuutei?! Did Azazel-sama know?! He didn't tell me that it was! His report may have stated that I "shouldn't interact with the subject under any circumstances", but I had no idea the outcome would be so drastic! I was lucky to escape with my life…. But now…'_

She bit down on her thumb in frustration.

 _'No…. I can't go back now…. Not until I've at least retrieved that girl's Sacred Gear... That's right. If I can at least retrieve the Sacred Gear, then that would be the perfect outcome. Not only will I become a valuable asset to my superiors, but I will have fulfilled Azazel-sama's request perfectly and be commended for my bravery..! After all, unlike the battle hungry Hakuryuukou who only fights strong foes, this Sekiryuutei is a beast…. I was lucky to escape with my life… I will be praised..! That's right!'_

The skin on Raynare's thumb broke, a thin stream of blood ran down her hand. Her expression was a mixture of excitement and unease. She was smiling, but their was also sweat running down her forehead.

 _'So long as I don't have my plans jeopardized by those damn Devils who run this town, or so long as I don't ever encounter that Sekiryuutei again…. I can do it! I can pull it off! Once I've retrieved the Sacred Gear from the witch, I can return to Grigori and be seen as an exemplary soldier for my achievements! I will be praised! Azazel-sama! Shemhazai-sama! Please wait for me! I will prove that I am worthy of standing by your side!'_

With a newfound determination, Raynare made her way up to the church base. Of course, not before looking back once. Far off in the distance, she could see the exact place she escaped from. Somehow, it felt as if a darkness loomed over that area, at least in her mind.

* * *

 **-DxD-**

Issei was making his way home after his encounter with the Fallen Angel, Raynare. Despite the fact that Raynare may have been considering that encounter as the event of a lifetime, Issei almost felt that it was less consequential than his lunchtime with a Devil. So much so, that Issei literally went to the convenience store to buy groceries afterward, as if it never happened. Now, he was just casually walking home with a few bags in his hands.

 ** _Meow~_**

"Hm?"

Issei stopped at the sound of a little noise. A familiar sound. When he turned around, he found a young black cat was following him.

….

Taking a step forward, he tried ignoring the cat, thinking it would leave him alone. But…

It was still following him…

He stopped.

"...I don't have food…."

For some reason, he said that to the cat.

[We don't have the ability to speak with animals, partner. You have known this for many years.]

 _'Fuck off, lizard.'_

Looking back down to the cat, it sat before him, as if waiting patiently for him to continue walking.

"...Ugh…"

He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. Deciding that it would make the cat leave him alone, he looked into one of his grocery bags for something to give it. The only thing he ended up finding was some thinly sliced ham.

He shrugged his shoulders. He opened the container and took out a slice of ham, throwing it onto the floor for the cat to eat. The cat began eating it without hesitation.

"Now you're happy, yeah?"

He gave a little grumble at the situation.

Issei was never really good with animals. Dogs always hated Issei, for reasons unknown to him. They only ever barked, ran away, or growled at him. He assumes that's because of the Sekiryuutei, but that's most likely incorrect. It's more likely because they sense something "off" about him. Horses were the same.

Cats, well, he was alright with them at least. The main reason, of course, was because he had a cat. That's right. Back at home, in Nagoya, his family has a cat. They've had it for nearly 3 years. Issei still clearly remembers the day they found it.

* * *

"Look, Nii-Nii! Nekoooo!"

Right as Issei and Marie returned home from their daily patrols (it was actually a date to the aquarium that his aunt forced on him), Maki greeted them at the door with a bundle of fur. Scratch that, she was holding a fluffy, white, Persian cat in her hands.

"..Uuuh…"

Issei looked at the cat in Maki's hands with confusion. The cat gave him absolutely no reaction. It simply blinked at him super slowly while having the tip of its tongue sticking out.

"Oh, c'est trop mignon! How cute!"

"I know right!"

Marie seemed immediately enamoured with the cat. Both of the girls were already keen on owning this cat.

"Wait, Maki… Where the hell did this cat even come from? Why do you have it?"

Issei questioned Maki, wondering how she was even in possession of it. Maki explained with a bright smile.

"He followed me home! I was just walking back from my friend's house and, for some reason, he wouldn't leave me alone. I guess he imprinted on me or something, huh!"

"It's a fuckin' cat, not a duck."

Maki deadpanned at Issei's reply. Marie gave Issei a stern look and placed her index finger over his lips.

"Language."

Issei frowned and removed hand from his mouth.

"Leave me alone, woman."

"Think about what you say in front of Maki!"

"Maki's fine. She'll stay a good girl either way, so what does it matter?"

"That's not the point, mon amour! The point is that you are supposed to watch your tongue around ladies! Maki is a lady! You need to maintain your manners!"

"There ya go again with that "mon amour" shit! I swear, the moment you start teachin' me French next week, I'm gonna find out what that word means first!"

"Wha— N-No, no! Wait! Forget that I said that! Don't think about that title! It's an expression of p-partnership, that's all it is!"

"Aha! So it is a title!"

"Hey…"

Maki interrupted the banter between the two teenagers with a deadpan expression. Maki turned her head and called out to what was seemingly the direction of the kitchen, past the living room entrance.

"Kaa-san! 'Mum' and 'Dad' are fighting agaaain!"

Issei's face went blank while Marie's went red.

"W-W-What?! N-No! We're not fighting! We never fight! We aren't like that! We aren't that type! Right, partner?"

"Who the hell you callin' "Dad"? And we aren't that "type" of what?... No, more importantly— Maki, how did you even…. Why is this cat here? Why did it follow you home?"

Maki furrowed her brows.

"I already told you, Nii-Nii. I don't know why, he just did. Maybe he can sense that cats are my favorite animal or something?"

"That's not how it works."

"Then I don't know! All I know is that he started following me home after I gave him some of the bagel I bought at the convenience store!"

"Ah…"

….

Issei rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

"Haah…. That's why he followed you home, idiot…"

"Oh…"

"Well, you know what they say, [don't feed a stray cat unless you want to keep it]. Because they keep coming back for food!"

"Yes, thank you, Marie, that was very insightful…"

"You're welcome, honey!"

"Who you callin'... Haah… Who cares..."

Issei rubbed his forehead in annoyance, or rather, in mental exhaustion. Going on "dates" with Marie was already draining enough for him. Maki asked Issei with uncertainty.

"So….. What do we do with him?"

"Well…. Did Baa-san get mad that he followed you?"

"No."

"Mm. Oji-san probably wouldn't care either….. Do you want it to starve to death?"

"What?! No!"

"Then it looks like we're keepin' him."

At that, Maki jumped for joy with the cat in her hands. She squeezed it tightly while jumping around. The cat only made sounds of obvious discomfort in response. Issei sighed while Marie smiled. They both stepped inside and shut the door behind them.

"So what're you gonna name him?"

"[Taki]!"

"You're gonna name your favorite animal after your favorite food? This is Nagoya, not Honshu. What're ya gonna eat him?"

"No! Mou! Nii-Nii is always so stingy! Who cares if I just wanna name him after my favorite food!"

"The word you're looking for is "pedantic" not stingy."

"See! You're even worse than I thought!"

Marie interjected happily as she and Issei removed their shoes at the entrance.

"I vote that we name him "Écaille"!"

"Huh? Hell no, you wanna name him after me? I'd rather name him "shitface"."

Marie gave an angry, but cute pout.

"Hmph! Well then, maybe we should name him "sour puss" instead! Since that would make more sense, if we're naming it after you!"

"Huh?!"

Maki burst out laughing and began dancing around with the apathetic looking cat in her hands.

"Nyahahahaha! Sour puss, sour puss, sour puss!"

Issei grumbled in annoyance.

"Ergh! Fine! Name him "Taki" or fuckin' whatever! I don't care. He's your cat anyway."

"Yaaay!"

Maki and Marie high fived each other. Maki quickly ran into the living room while dancing happily.

"Yay! Taki, Taki, Taki~ Kaa-san! We named him Taki!"

Issei sighed once again as Marie began walking to the living room as well. But the moment she took a step forward, Issei noticed something.

"Eh?"

Marie was confused at the feeling of something holding onto her hand. Looking back, Issei had grabbed onto her. That's because Issei noticed something red like blood on Marie's skin, and pulled her hand without thinking.

Issei turned her hand over to reveal the red mark.

—It was nothing but a red stain from when she wiped off some of her lipstick by accident, earlier in the day.

"My bad."

Issei let go and acted as if nothing happened. He quickly passed her to walk towards the living room before her. But—

 _ **Tug**_..

This time, it was Issei who was stopped by the tugging of his jacket sleeve. Looking back, Marie had a deep blush over her face. She asked Issei sheepishly while she held her finger up to her lips.

"...I still have some lipstick left on…"

It went completely silent in the hall they stood in.

…

"—Ahem."

Maki cleared her throat while peeking her head out from the entrance to the living room. She had a blank expression while also holding out the head of the bored looking cat.

….

"Kaa-san! 'Mum' and 'Dad' made up!"

"Oh, how nice, dear~"

"Like I said, who you callin' mum and dad?!"

"Uuu…. I was caught in the act… I am so embarrassed…"

"And you, why the hell are you phrasing it like that?! Are you guys in on some kinda joke that I don't know about?!"

"Kaa-san! Nii-Nii is pretending to be dense agaaain!"

"Ise-kun~ don't make me come there and smack you with a spoon~"

"Y-Yes, obaa-sama!"

* * *

 _ **Meow~**_

Issei's reminiscence was interrupted by the black cat rubbing against his leg.

"Haah…"

He gave a heavy sigh. It was a sigh filled with an underlying, tremendous sorrow…

"Well…. Whatever…."

Issei turned to walk away.

 _ **Meow~**_

"Hm?"

Looking back, the cat was still following him for some reason.

"What?"

 _ **Meow~**_

"I already gave you fuckin' food, what else do ya wa—"

As if some sort of comedic irony, Issei suddenly remembered something.

 _("You know what they say, [don't feed a stray cat unless you want to keep it]. Because they keep coming back for food!")_

"Ah."

…

"Fuck..."

* * *

 _ **Meow~**_

Issei pulled a tuna can from out of his cabinet and pried it open with his bare hand. He placed the tuna can on the ground so that the cat could eat it.

"Here. I ain't got cat food so this'll have to do. Hopefully it doesn't make ya sick or anything. I'll buy ya some proper food tomorrow."

The cat ate the tuna without hesitation. Issei sighed and looked to the cabinet.

"...Eh, fuck it."

He pulled out another tuna can and pulled it open to eat. He sat down at one of the chairs of the dining table while watching the cat eat its tuna, and also eating his own.

[Don't you find it grotesque that you would be consuming such a crude meal, considering your modern lifestyle, partner?]

 _'What, you said that I won't get sick from eating raw meats anymore, right?'_

[Yes, it would seem so. The influence of the Sekiryuutei became stronger ever since you lost your eye and gave up your scapula. It's odd, but it seems as if certain parts of your body act…. No, I suppose it's not important. All that I know is that it is similar to the manner in which your human composition remains the same, but your body is still stronger. In the end, it's a benefit. So I suppose there's no use thinking into it further.]

 _'See? No problem. Besides, didn't you used to eat cows and goats back when you were a Dragon or some shit?'_

[Is that what the legends say? Well, I can't say it's inaccurate. Though, there were many Dragons who had a particular taste for specific types of flesh.]

Issei immediately began to feel sick once Ddraig said that, as he felt the tuna move between his teeth.

[Think no further into it, partner. Forget it.]

 _'Y-Yeah…. Yeah, I know…'_

Issei continued eating the tuna while using the cat as a visual distraction. He brought out his phone and snapped a picture of it. He sent it to Maki, with a message attached.

(Sent: [I have a cat now. (-_-) ])

Maki always loved cats. Her profile picture on practically all of her accounts was her with cat ears. The lock screen of her phone is her cat. She was a "cat lady" or "Neko girl" for Halloween twice, in a row. Sometimes she walked around the house with cat ears on her head. Her behavior is that of a cat: eating, lazing about, and sitting on Issei's lap without asking. She owns three, different colored cat onesies. And most of all, she hisses when she's threatened (with vegetables) or purrs when Issei rubs her head (or when she forces him to scratch under her chin).

 _ **Ding!**_

Issei received a reply message. It read…

(Maki: [Nyaani?!])

"Heh!... Yup, that's about the reaction I expected."

* * *

 **-Devils-**

"Buchou."

"Ah, Koneko. You've returned."

Inside of the dimly lit room, the members of the "Occult Research Club" were preparing to leave, just as Toujou Koneko returned.

"So, was there anything to report?"

Koneko nodded her head to Rias Gremory's question.

"I met with him during lunch."

"What?! Did he know you were following him?"

Koneko nodded again. Rias bit her thumb nervously.

"Damn… What did he do?.."

"We ate lunch together."

"..Pardon?"

"He invited me to lunch together."

Rias was left blinking for a few moments. She shook her head before giving a pleasantly relieved sigh.

"...Is that so?... I see…."

Rias sat back in her seat a bit more relaxed than before. Somehow, she was getting the feeling that she was right about something.

"So, anything else?"

"Yes. He encountered a Fallen Angel from Grigori."

 **[—?!]**

To that, every member of the club became serious. Rias leaned forward, listening intently.

"So there were Fallen Angels sneaking around in my territory, just as I thought…. What happened?"

"She fled."

"Eh?"

Rias made a confused expression.

"She...fled? You mean, she ran away from him?"

"Yes."

"...Ah, I see… Well, that isn't really surprising, I suppose… How was the interaction between them? Did she attempt to recruit him?"

Koneko shook her head.

"She tried to kill him."

"..! She tried to kill him..!? What happened exactly?"

"Nothing. Her attack was ineffective. It disappeared the moment it touched him."

Rias stood from her seat in shock.

"What?! But he is a human!"

"Yes…"

Koneko had no response besides that. It wasn't as if she could provide an explanation, after all. Rias sat down, feeling even more uneasy than before.

"What else?"

"She was acting on orders of her superior."

"Her superior? So she was ordered to kill him? Damn… If that is true, then that would mean those Fallen Angels are indeed here on official business…. This is problematic. Is the reason that they're here to kill the Sekiryuutei? But why? Why not recruit him instead?... It could be that they're disobeying orders…. In which case, that would work a bit better for us, but not too greatly…. In the end, they are underlings that were sent with here with purpose from their higher ups…. So taking action against them would be considered an insult to those superiors of theirs…. But they are in our territory…. But it also isn't as if Grigori would care much about what "territory" they're at, rather they would just care that their underlings are dead…. A disagreement could cause strife and…."

Rias placed her hand up to her mouth in contemplation. After some silence, she asked again.

"Anything else?"

"He threatened her to send a message back to her superiors."

Rias leaned in with extreme interest.

"What was the message?"

"It was a threat. He said that if they want to kill him, then they should send their leaders instead."

 **[—?!]**

An atmosphere of unbelievable shock could be interpreted in the environment. Rias stood from her seat in disbelief, again.

"What?! A personal declaration of war?! You've got to be joking! Is he insane?!"

Koneko, having no response, merely remained silent. Rias's mind began running at a million miles a minute, running through all the possible scenarios and outcomes.

"Wait…. If he's done something like that…. It's become obvious that he's someone that is easily irritated by things relating to the supernatural, especially considering that he would be willing to declare war on the Fallen Angels, who he has displayed no contempt for, just for an attempt on his life…. Not to say that an assassination attempt isn't something to be angry about, but considering all of his behavior before— His hatred for us Devils, his disgust towards the church, and his apparent kindness towards other students— It's obvious that he is a person who acts when there is an inciting incident rather than immediately based off of his feelings…. That's somewhat relieving since it means that he isn't necessarily a ruthless maniac, not that I thought he was before…. Wait, when he invited you to lunch, what happened? How did it happen?"

"He noticed me following him. Then, he asked if I was ordered to. When I didn't answer, he simply asked if I wanted to "join him" for lunch."

"Really? So then, what happened when you were eating lunch? Was it just a formality to interrogate you?"

Koneko shook her head.

"It was...casual."

"Casual?... You mean, he treated you normally?"

Koneko nodded.

"He asked me about my intentions, but he was not threatening. He treated me like another student.

Rias raised an interested brow.

"But if he hates Devils….. Then again, when we made it clear that we weren't a threat, he did show that he didn't care much for our existence…. So rather, he could just be indifferent to us?….. Or perhaps it's because he didn't find you threatening at all?... Either way…. This is...a good thing."

Rias sat back in her seat, slowly beginning to reach a conclusion in her plans.

"Yes…. Yes, this is a good thing. Even though it's concerning that he threatened Grigori, it's also a good thing because it means that he has an enemy. If he's made an enemy out of Grigori, then that leaves Heaven and the Underworld as possible sides to recruit him. He can't face an entire faction by himself, after all. I'm sure he realizes that. Considering his overwhelming loathing of the church, it's more likely that we would be the likely contenders. Especially since he lives in Devil territory and this place may become a target. Though, that all depends on what course of action Grigori takes. If they want to avoid war, then this place will remain untouched, and if they want to recruit the Sekiryuutei, then they will pay no mind to his threats and instead have the leaders convince him….."

Rias let out a breath to release her tension.

"Alright. Thank you, Koneko. You don't have to follow him any further than that. He will be here tomorrow anyway. I'll see what I can do. Good job. You may leave."

Koneko nodded and excused herself. She walked out of the clubroom accompanied by a blond male servant. Akeno Himejima approached the side of Rias's desk.

"Rias. What do you plan to do when he comes here tomorrow?"

Rias rubbed her head.

"...I don't know…"

* * *

 **-Boss-**

"Heya, boss. I'm back."

"Ah, Bal. There you are. Did you find Vali?"

"Yeah, he was just off fightin' again. Didn't wanna come back yet though. If I made him come back, he probably woulda' kicked my ass."

"Yeah, that's fine. You did well enough. Good job."

"Yeah, sure. Ah. Hey, boss. About that mission you sent the Ray on, do you think it's him? Do you really think it's the brat we met back in the day?"

"Mm. I feel confident that my assumption is correct. I just don't feel entirely confident that Raynare will follow my orders perfectly…. She may do something reckless, even though I told her not to."

"Aw man! You shoulda' just sent me, man! Dang it! I woulda' loved to go and see that brat again! Maybe he's way stronger now, you know! That woulda' been hella wicked!"

"...Right…. Well, I wanted to give a chance to my underappreciated pupils. You are already someone with reputation and achievement. It's better to give the little ones a chance, you know? Besides, Raynare is a good soldier when she's following orders. I wanted to give her her first chance to show whether she can follow orders unsupervised."

"Ah, okay. Well, it's too late now anyway. I won't complain. What about the "Sacred Gear remover"? Do you think it's her who took it?"

"Mm, very possibly. She may be planning to do something above what I've told her, trying to exceed our expectations. Haaah. Honestly, my underlings are problematic."

"Mm. Like you?"

"Hah. Yes, indeed. The fact that you can say that so carefreely, I like that about you, Bal. I get tired of the formalities and military attitudes sometimes."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I like you better than Shemhazai. He's too much of a prude, even though he's younger."

"Hahahaha. Yes, that's true. Speaking of which, what do you think about the new woman he has. It's not public yet, but surely you know about his Devil fiancée, considering your position?"

"Yeah, I do. I don't really have a problem with it. It's something that would be bad if everyone found out, but I don't care much. I only really hate Devils when they're not on my side. If she's marrying him, then I don't see her as an enemy, obviously."

"Mm. I don't dislike that mentality. Though, I am considered quite indifferent."

"Yeah. Well, anyway, I'll be heading off, boss. Still have work to do. Let me know if anything happens with Raynare's case. I'll intervene if necessary."

"Yeah. I'll have you go in if she doesn't return in a certain amount of time. Since you've had a previous encounter, it might work better that way. But if it doesn't, then it's best you report it to me and I'll handle it myself."

"Got it."

"Ah, also, Bal— Your new spear, how is it? Is it to your liking?"

"Aw, hell yeah! It's awesome! I love it! Thanks for makin' it!"

"Of course. I love working on Sacred Gears, after all. Making an artificial Sacred Gear from something that already exists is something I plan to become good at. Yours was the prototype. If I can make proper use of that purple jewel of Fafnir, like I did with the base of your spear, I can make something really interesting."

"Interesting? More like scary."

"Haha, this is coming from the man who is now wielding the modified, Artificial Sacred Gear version of [the spear of Achilles]?"

"Haha! I guess I'm not one to talk, huh!"

* * *

 **End**

 **That's all for this chapter! Again, sorry we were gone so long. On the bright side, I see all of the love that this story has gotten and it makes me happy. Not only does this story already have 480 followers and 400+ favorites by this point, but a shit ton of the messages I've gotten are asking about this story specifically. This is the most requested story for some back, which surprises me just a bit, but does not make me any less happy.**

 **Anyway, about the story. Chapter is a little shorter than I would've liked, but that is fine. I'm back on that grind, so it's not like this won't be updated in a long time. Next chapter is gonna be the second meeting between Issei and the Devils. After that, it'll segue into more properly into the current arc when Issei encounters the character we're waiting for, the "excommunicated witch". I think this arc and the next are going to be very interesting, because they're gonna be quite different from cannon. This Issei is quite different, after all. It isn't as if he'll go through the same things as cannon Issei, or rather, he won't go through it the same way. Especially if we're considering the fact that he isn't a fuckin weakling. Also, want to clarify this, Issei is not necessarily OP. I mean yea, he really fuckin is compared to all of the characters for the next few arcs, but not objectively. It's not like he could tank someone like Azazel, right, that's just fucked. But he would do some damage, definitely. Well, his strength will remain somewhat vague until he faces off with the Yakitori bastard, since he is actually a High-Class with a powerful abilities. Their encounter will give you an idea of his true strength. And his encounter with the warmonger Fallen Angel will surely make it clear. Just know for now that nobody's really up to par with the big scary man at this point.**

 **So yeah. Next chapter events: Issei talks with the Devils, Issei meets the "witch", Issei meets the "psycho priest", Issei meets the rest of the Fallen Angels(?), and possibly more!**

 **Also, weird thing here, but someone recently asked me what "theme songs" my stories or the Issei's to my stories have. Um, very peculiar question, never gotten that one before. But I guess, if I had to say for this story: The best song to describe this story would be [Wrong side of heaven by Five Finger death punch] since it captures the feeling of it, and Issei's character, perfectly. The best song for this Issei, besides "Wsoh", is probably [Carnivore by starset]. Nah jk lol. Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want about how on the nose it is, I laughed too. But truth is I think [Remember everything by Five Finger death punch] is actually better, again. Because literally the chorus, and the meaning of the song is perfect: "It seems that a boy is born. He grows up living through terrible things. Once he realizes he has grown up to be what he hated, he tries to fix it but it is too late. He dies lonely". Except Issei isn't dead here, he just plans to die alone because he thinks it's the outcome that is best for everyone. But honestly, whenever I think about this story, i always hear [I won't see you tonight part 1 by Avenged Sevenfold] in my head. I personally consider that the theme song of Marie, actually. The reason being that the was literally the song that inspired her existence, which also inspired the creation of this story from the beginning as well. It's a beautifully tragic song, and every time I heard it, I literally repeated the death of Marie in my head over and over. Which, in turn, allowed me to perfect it and hit me so hard emotionally when I wrote it. Looking at it now, this Issei is definitely my favorite. He's the most complex character I've ever written, filled with so many conflicting emotions and trauma, and his journey is just so fuckin emotional. Anyway, that's all about that shit.**

 **Tell me what you guys thought about this one.**

 **What do you think about Issei's mental state and how it affects his daily life/actions? What's your diagnosis? What do you think about his interactions with regular students, like the Kendo club? Are you surprised by how respectful/kind he is to regular people? What do you think about Issei's interaction with Koneko? Did it surprise you with how he treated her? What do you think about Issei's encounter with Raynare? Did it go as you expected or did it surprise you? What do you think about Issei's character as a whole, sorrow and rage included? Most important question of all, do you think Issei is a "good person"?... And lastly, what do you think is gonna happen next, Devils and Fallen Angels included?**

 **P.S. For all of you Marie lovers out there, I've got good news! I made a side story centered around Marie! It's called "The Curious Misadventures of Marie Bellerose"! It's some omake chapters revolving around Issei and Marie's daily life together, their relationship, some romance, and funny little antics! So if you love this story and want a little treat to read, that side story is there.**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**


	13. Chapter 13: Coexist

**Alright, back on track! Finally got through the start of the "Ragnarök arc" on my main story, Red Dragon Of Golden Light and holy shit was it fucking ridiculous! True chaos! That was the hardest thing I've ever written and it's only gonna get harder. Now I can work on the other stories. Especially this one, which I am feeling very inspired to write for suddenly, for some reason. So yeah, I'm fuckin in it.**

 **This chapter is getting into the [Raynare arc], which, I've gotta warn you guys, is going to be quite short. Lol. To be fair, the arc is pretty short in canon, in hindsight. But, more of that has to do with Issei having just become a Devil and struggling with being a weakling. This Issei, however, is no weakling. Of course, I'm not saying this arc is gonna end in like 10,000 words or anything absurdly short like that. I just mean that the conflict of the arc itself will be solved a bit quicker than it was in canon. This Issei is very much not like canon Issei after all.**

 **Let's just see how his interactions with current characters, and new characters are about to go down, shall we?**

* * *

 **SCENE**

…

…

 _ **《**_ _ **HYOUDOU ISSEI**_ _ **》**_

(—?!)

—Issei eyes shot open at the sound of a deep bellow that reverberated through the walls of his mind. —No, not his mind. Rather, the sound bounced off of the walls of the place he suddenly appeared inside of.

An unfamiliar place. The space was wide and open, but also dark and confined. It resembled the insides of a cavern or cave. The ceiling was tall and every part of it resembled rock. But this rock was red. As if it was an entire cavern made of red rock from mars. Otherwise, it was inexplicable.

However, what was more apparent than the visual itself, were the sounds. The sounds of terrible suffering.

 _{AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! AAAAAAAAAH!}_

The only sounds that filled Issei's ears were the collective sounds of possibly hundreds of screams. Unrecognizable wails of pure terror and pain. And yet, for some reason, they did not feel unfamiliar to him.

But most of all, he realized that the sounds were being released from the ground under him.

….It was then that he realized, they were beneath him. He was the one above them.

 _{AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! AAAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAAH!}_

—It only took one glance down for Issei to realize what he was sitting on. It was a rough, tall, pillar of red rock. In fact, the only semblance of "ground" or "foundation" that there was in this place, was the pillar beneath him, and another similar looking pillar across from him.

But, besides that, there was no ground. None. Instead, upon looking downwards, he realized that the only thing below him was a pit.

 _A pit of blood infested with writhing, screaming, living corpses._

 **[—?!]**

Upon realizing it, Issei recognized that there was a striking similarity between this place, and another. A place that he dreamt of. A place he had nightmares of very often, over the span of years.

—The so-called "Belly of the Beast".

 _《_ _Hyoudou Issei._ _》_

Issei lifted his head again after hearing his name being called out. It was a young and familiar voice. In fact, he recognized all too well.

That's because— it was his own.

 _《_ _So you've returned._ _》_

The one who was sitting on the pillar across from him, was himself. Or rather, his childhood self.

 _《_ _It's been a long time, hasn't it? Since you've been here, at least._ _》_

"..?!"

Despite the speech that his younger "visage" was giving him, Issei felt like he had never encountered a scenario like this before. He was on his knees with his hands chained to the pillar's edges, as if being imprisoned. He had been in the "Belly of the Beast" before, but not sitting on a pillar, in chains. He was usually drowning along with the corpses below him.

Though, even more than that, he had never encountered a vision of his younger self speaking to him directly.

Let alone the exact version of himself from "that day", all the way down to the clothes he was wearing.

 _《_ _Do you see them? All of those guys down there. They're not just corpses. They're your corpses. They're the "damned". They're all the poor guys that you killed. Humans. Some Devils. Nonhumans. There's even a couple down there who look just like me, in appearance, if you know what I mean._ _》_

The younger visage— the "boy", said that while holding his gaze over the edge of his pillar, looking down upon the pit of "damned" ones. Not too far behind his form, there was a large, tall mirror with no frame.

The boy shifted his gaze back to Issei across from him.

 _《_ _Today is the day that you will speak with the Devils. What do you plan to do?_ _》_

Despite being so far away, the eyes of the boy portrayed a creepy image to Issei that he could see clearly. Maybe because he was looking at it with "his own eyes".

—It was a vision filled with blood.

 _《_ _Will you kill them?_ _》_

(—!)

Issei felt his eye twitch in response to the question. He wanted to answer it in some way, but he realized he couldn't. Because there was something over his mouth. It was a mask. —No, it was more accurate to compare it to a muzzle. And one that resembled a dragon's snout, no less.

 _《_ _You don't need to answer it. It's not like your answer isn't obvious. You're practically growling like a mad dog in that muzzle as it is. Don't bother denying it. Even if you don't show it, that's just what I'm seeing on the inside anyway. And who would know better than me, or rather, yourself. Right?_ _》_

To the boy's cryptic phrasing, Issei could only raise a suspicious brow.

 _《_ _That's all you are, right? You're just a wolf in sheep's clothing. More like, a "Dire wolf", I guess. You're the monster of the story. You can never be the "good guy", or the "hero". You know it well enough, don't you? You've said it yourself. You're not "cut out for it". You're only meant to ruin things. That's all you're good for. —Destruction. Devastation. Domination. It's what you're destined for. It's all you can do. In the end, whatever you touch comes to die. You bring ruin to what you influence. That's all you can do. That's all you're good for. That's why you came home, right? You came back to die?_ _》_

That's what the boy said to him. At this point, Issei could only assume that this was a reflection of himself. Ironic, considering the large mirror behind the boy.

Even so, Issei felt the need to respond. Even if he couldn't speak, or think of what to say, he felt compelled to respond. Maybe just with: "Shut up."

—The boy then looked straight through Issei with apparently red eyes.

 _《_ _If that wasn't true, then why does it keep happening?_ _》_

 **[—!]**

To that, Issei had no response, even if he could speak. He could only lower his head in shame, the damned souls below him being easily visible over the edge of his pillar.

 _《_ _That's right. You can't argue with me. It wouldn't make sense, right? Since I'm just you anyway. Or a version of you, I guess. The one who doesn't run from reality, that is. Meanwhile, you waste a lot of your time just looking down at that cross and constantly seeing things that aren't there as a result. Or, more like, seeing "someone" specifically._ _》_

Issei then looked down to his otherwise naked body and noticed something resting on his chest. It was the very same cross the boy referred to, hanging from his neck, like always.

Even in this horrific place, it was like a symbol of comfort to him.

 _《_ _You couldn't save her. In fact— You "killed" her._ _》_

 **[—!]**

Issei's head immediately whipped back up, as if on some sort of subconscious reflex.

 _《_ _Struck a nerve, did I? Well, it was always the truth that you wanted to keep running from. That's why your eye twitches like that, right? Whenever you're caught thinking about something that touches your heart, or disturbs your mind, whether good or bad, that little tick of yours becomes apparent because of it. And with the way you live, that's almost always happening. It's closed more than it's open. —But regardless of all of that, it means you recognize the truth. The truth that it was because of you, that she died in the first place._ _》_

"..."

 _《_ _If it wasn't for you, that wouldn't have happened, would it? You know about the "curse of the Sekiryuutei", don't you? Ddraig has told you. Many things happen to the possessors of the Heavenly Dragons. Many things that can hardly be called coincidence. Maybe if you have never even existed, she would still be alive today. Maybe it would even been the same with your parents._ — _Maybe if we were never born, if they had a different son, they wouldn't have to have died like that._ _》_

Upon listening to the entire speech, Issei had not a single word for a response. He could only remain silent, with his head lowering more every sentence. In the end, his vision landed back onto the cross on his chest…

 _《_ _The kids killed by "Zealous". The Nightwalker. Those people killed by Genesis. Those people killed by stray Devils in your prefecture. All of those you killed yourself. Marie. And even Mum and Dad. —Maybe, if you had never existed, they would all still be alive today… Or, at least, that's what we think…. That's what YOU think…. Isn't it?_ _》_

Again, Issei had not even a breath of response. He only held his head down.

The boy stood up from his spot and turned back. He made his way towards the large mirror that was centered on his pillar.

 _《_ _That meeting that you are going to have with the Devils, do you remember what it was about? They said they wanted to "clear things up". So that it may possible for all of you to "coexist peacefully"._ _》_

The boy stood in front of the mirror and placed his hand upon glass. He looked back to Issei. Issei, feeling the boy's gaze, lifted his head.

—When Issei lifted his gaze, he could see something in the reflection of the boy in the mirror.

 _《"_ _Coexistence"? "Save"? Liar. Don't be ridiculous._ _》_

In the reflection— there was nothing but a monster. A black beast donning a grotesque looking armor, sharp claws, the jaws of a monster, and a form covered in eyes that were all staring right back at him.

 _ **《**_ _ **You aren't capable of such things.**_ _ **》**_

 _ **BREAK!**_

At that moment, the base of the pillar that Issei was chained to, broke apart. It was broken by the countless damned below trying to reach him.

The support of the pillar broke, and he fell into the pit below. And as he fell, slowly, he could hear the last words of the boy being communicated to him directly.

 _ **《**_ _ **You can't accomplish such things. It's simply not in your nature. In the end, it will end up the same with them as it ends up with everyone else. They will just end up dead by your hand. That's how it always ends. Because—that's just what's in your nature.**_ _ **》**_

Then, finally, Issei splashed into the pit of blood, surrounded by the souls of the damned, and his world went entirely black.

 _ **SPLASH!**_

…

…

Everything was dark. All except for one, noticeable light in the distance. The direction Issei was looking in, was "up".

High up above him, Issei could see a beam of light. An "exit". It only took him a quick second to realize where he had ended up at.

It was the "well". He had been to this place before. A well of darkness. Cold, damp, lonely. —It was indeed a place familiar to him.

He also remembers the "figure". The figure of a certain person would always stand "up there", "out there", just waiting for him beyond the exit. Just one person. _She_ was always waiting for him to come up.

And the longer and longer she stood there, waiting, the more that the distance between Issei and exit decreased. As if the whole place slowly began to shrink over time. And one day, perhaps that person would reach her hand down to him, and he could bring himself out of the darkness.

—But now, that person was gone. There was not a single soul waiting for him beyond that exit. He was alone. And more than that, the distance between him and the exit was now far beyond anything it had ever been before, as if he had fallen even further.

Though, now, there was something different. Despite Issei not being able to see anything apart from the exit, he felt an odd "weight" on his "back". As if something was now holding him down from the exit, even when he was this far away. Something was sitting on him, laying on him, pinning him down. Something heavy.

"...Ah."

Issei quickly realized what it was that was holding him down. It was something that didn't need to be made clear with vision, yet he could still see the image in his mind.

 _ **《**_ _ **In the end...**_ _ **》**_

—Stacked on top of Issei's back—

 _ **《**_ _ **...You cannot "save" or "protect" anything...**_ _ **》**_

—was a pile of endless bodies, reaching the top, and eclipsing the light.

 _ **《**_ _ **HYOUDOU ISSEI**_ _ **》**_

* * *

"AAAH!"

Issei's upper body shot up, and his eyes snapped open, revealing that he was back in the room of his childhood again.

[Partner. Are you alright? Was it another night terror?]

Ddraig asked that while Issei rubbed over his right eye in an almost exhausted manner. He responded with a heavy sigh.

"...Haah… Yeah…. Same as always, I guess…"

[Is that so? Judging by your emotional state, it felt as if it was worse than usual. Not to mention that I could not interfere or witness it myself, which is most usually an indication that it is related to something deep within your subconscious.]

"Heh…. That so?….."

 _ **Meow~**_

Issei heard a small noise. Looking towards the edge of his bed, he noticed that a small black cat had jumped onto his legs.

"Ah, it's you… Forgot you were here…"

The cat came up to Issei's side and rubbed up against him. Issei pet the cat's head softly, but his face was formed into a scowl.

"...Tch…. "Coexist"... As if I ever _wanted_ to do that in first place…"

….

Even though Issei said that, his expression held a tinge of sadness in it..

* * *

 **Part 2**

"Ha— aah~"

Issei let out a yawn with his usually stoic attitude. By this time, he had just arrived to the courtyard of his academy. As Issei walked further into his school, other students began to notice him and greeted him.

In only the total of 3 days that Issei has been attending this new school, he has already made a few of what he would call "friends". For reasons practically unknown to him, people seem to greet him often and talk to him at different times during the day. At first, he thought that everyone hated or feared him, due to the apparently "intimidating" attitude he seems to exude.

But, to his surprise, there isn't really a shortage of students who interact with him.

"Ah, if it isn't Hyoudou Issei-kun. Good morning."

"Hm?"

Speaking of which, Issei turned his head to his right after hearing the voice of a young girl. It was a braided brunette with glasses and a naturally mischievous face.

"You…. You're Aika Kiryuu, right?"

"Oya, you remembered my name? I'm surprised. I wouldn't have expected the famous "Silent Emperor" of Kuoh to recall my name."

Issei raised a brow after hearing the nickname.

"The what?"

"Ara, didn't you know? You've become quite popular in your short time here, Issei-kun. Can I call you "Issei-kun"?"

"Huh? Ah, yeah, it's fine."

"Great! Okay, Issei-kun. As I was saying, you've become quite popular. Some of the academy populace have taken a liking to you. As a result, you've achieved nickname status, just like Kiba Yuuto-kun, the "Kuoh Prince" before you."

Issei couldn't help but make a confused expression at Aika Kiryuu's explanation.

"Popularity? For what reason? I haven't done anything noteworthy. Aside from maybe that incident from the past. But that was my childhood."

Kiryuu waved her finger back and forth in a supposedly informative manner.

"No, no, no, Issei-kun. You see, high school students like us are not so simple. You don't necessarily have to do anything spectacular to earn the popularity here. All you have to do is be an interesting character, usually because of attractiveness. Or at least, that's how it's been up until this point. I think you're one of the only popular students that has earned his popularity through his past reputation and intriguing personality rather than from his initial looks. Everyone else has just been insanely pretty."

In response to Kiryuu's exposition dump, Issei gave an exasperated scoff.

"Huh! —In that case, it's a worthless popularity. What shallow "recognition". Receiving attention for having done nothing is worth that very same amount. Nothing."

Kiryuu smiled at his response.

"Aha, but you see, Issei-kun. That response of yours is exactly the type of thing that seems to resonate with the students. Apparently, many students find your "no nonsense" attitude quite endearing, as it is a great departure from what they're used to. Not to mention that your "character" is quite interesting as well. The fact that you give off such a scary atmosphere, but then turn out to be a nice guy is something that people latch on to. The dichotomy is like a piece of art. Many girls would say that you are kind of like a "gentle giant". A scary, silent character, with a sense of authority, but also very kind to others. Hence, the nickname "Silent Emperor" of Kuoh."

"Huh…. Who even came up with the nickname anyway?"

"I did, of course!"

Kiryuu responded with a prideful smirk. Issei only rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Haah… Of course you did…"

Though, he did find one detail interesting.

"..."Gentle giant", huh?... Not sure where people keep gettin' this impression that I'm some sort of "nice guy"..."

Kiryuu snickered amusingly with a hand over her mouth. She was giving him quite a sly smile.

"Ohohoho~ But you see, Issei-kun… You yourself are the one that has created the impression. Due to your various interactions with other students…"

"Interactions?"

"Oh, yes, yes~ Don't you remember yesterday?"

* * *

 _The day before :_

It was currently a study hall period due to the teacher of Issei's class needing to go over some paperwork in the main office. As a result, many students were casually chatting with each other and wasting time.

Issei himself was studying classroom material, as he was instructed to, though he didn't necessarily need to.

Meanwhile, there were a few students gathered around the neighbouring desks, having conversations about their daily lives. That is until, a specific group of four girls next to him changed the subject to something more "interesting".

"Psst. Hey, so that's the new kid, right?"

The girls whispered to each other in a huddle, as to not alert Issei in the desk beside them.

"Yup, that's him alright. From what I've heard, he was kind of a well known "celebrity" when he was younger. Whaddya think?"

"He's got nice looking features, but also kind of a scary looking face at the same time, ya know?"

"Yeah, I get what you mean. He's got a pretty serious attitude. Honestly, he's kind of intimidating. I wonder if he would glare at us if we tried talking to him?"

"There's a couple scars on his face. Look at the mean one over his right eye… How do you think he got that one? In a knife fight, maybe?"

"Hey, Naomi! Why don't you go talk to him?"

"Huh? No way. You do it."

"Hey, hey, I've got a better idea! Naomi, why don't you try testing his patience? He might not be the type of guy to lose his cool if you talk to him, but you can always tell what a person is really like when you're trying to annoy them! Try saying something weird to him!"

"Huh?! I don't wanna do that! What if I get killed?!"

"Oh, come on! I don't think he'd go that far!... Maybe…. But, anyway! Let's make a deal! If you do it, I'll go ahead and ask my brother to take you out on a date! How about that?"

"Eh? Kintarou-kun?! T-That's..! Mm…. O-Okay, what should I do?.."

"Atta girl! Alright! Now, all you have to do is mess with him in some way…. Aha, I've got it! You've gotta tickle him!"

"Huh?!"

"Yeah, that's it! You see, if you tickle him, we'll be able to make an assessment of his personality based on his reaction. If he laughs, then maybe he's more of a lighthearted guy than he makes himself look. If he tries to kill you…. Well, then it was nice knowing you.."

"D-Don't joke like that! It's not funny..!"

"Just hurry up and do it already!"

"Okay, fine, fine! I'll do it!"

"Nice! Good luck, Naomi!"

"Shut up!"

With that discussion between the four girls settled, one of the girls, Naomi, stepped away from the desk the girls were huddled at, and discreetly snuck behind Issei's desk. Naomi took a crouching position as she quietly approached the back of Issei's desk. She extended her arms outward and opened her hands. With an overly cautious attitude, she reached out to Issei's sides.

—And the moment her fingers made contact Issei's stomach, Naomi sporadically moved her fingers around, attempting to tickle him. She tickled him for approximately 4 full seconds with her eyes closed, hoping that she would not receive a hostile reaction, before swiftly pulling her hands away in fear of possibly being hurt.

It was quiet for a moment before she opened her eyes and looked up at Issei, hesitantly.

"Hm?"

Issei lifted his arm to see the girl crouched behind his seat. He then looked down to his stomach, seemingly confused as to what she did. When he saw that she did nothing, he switched his curious gaze back to her. To which she quickly waved her hands around in a frantic manner.

"E-Eh?! N-No, I'm sorry! I was j-just..! I was just messing around?..."

A small bout of silence was left hanging in the air after her uneasy response. She couldn't help but preemptively flinch, anticipating some sort of outward reaction or shouting from Issei.

However…

"Oh.."

When she hesitantly opened her eyes again, she was left with her mouth slightly agape and her eyes fully widened.

—Issei was giving her a smile full of kindness.

"I'm sorry. Unfortunately, I'm not very ticklish..."

 _ **KYUN~!**_

An imaginary arrow shot straight through Naomi's chest. In one moment, she was completely heart-stricken.

….

Naomi silently stood from her place and walked back to her group.

"Ah, goodbye then…"

Issei returned to his work after not receiving a response. When Naomi returned to her group, the girls huddled up again, completely in shock at the events that transpired.

"D-Did you guys see that?! He smiled! He seriously smiled at Naomi!"

"N-No way! It can't be! That smile was way too calm and pure for someone scary like that! Right?! That was like a smile almost comparable to Yuuto-kun's!?"

"M-Maybe it just feels that way because we didn't expect it!? It could've just been whatever, ya know! T-There's no way someone who looks so intimidating can actually be so gentle on the inside! R-Right…?"

The other three girls looked towards Naomi beside them, who had been silently holding her head down up to this point.

"...Kiyomi-chan?"

"Y-Yeah, Naomi?..."

"...You can go ahead and cancel that "date" deal with your brother…. I think I'm okay..."

"Naomi?!"

* * *

Issei's flashback ended with him scratching his head in irritation, while Kiryuu simply snickered beside him.

"Ah, it was that…"

"Mhmm. That's right~ It looks like that smile of yours is capable of capturing hearts, a bit like Kiba Yuuto-kun's. Though, probably not as effective. Or maybe so? Who knows, there are some people who would say it's more effective because it can be considered a "super surprise sneak attack!", or something like that. Point is, everyone basically heard about that story, and other examples like it throughout the day, and as a result, you have the reputation you do now."

"Other examples?… I don't recall having that many positive interactions within just two days…"

"What about that girl who you helped after she dropped her stuff?"

"Ah, well, I'm not sure how that would count as "positive". I'm sure someone else would've just done it if I didn't."

"What about that guy who forgot his textbook, so you shared your own with him?"

"Isn't that just a classroom courtesy?"

"What about that girl who didn't know where the teacher's office was, so you took the big boxes she was carrying and delivered them on her behalf?"

"It was easier than giving her directions."

Kiryuu fixed her glasses while looking up at Issei curiously.

"You really make up a lot of excuses for doing good things, Issei-kun. Even though you do them so often. It's only been two days, you know? Why can't you just accept the idea that you're a good person?"

The moment that caught Issei's ear, he almost burst out into a fit of laughter.

"Haha! Yeah, right. And the Devil is a saint…. "Good person", as if… A good person doesn't need to think about the good things they do, they just do 'em because it's in their nature…"

"Hmmm. You didn't really seem like you needed to think about those things when you were doing them."

"Yeah, well, don't assume. You never really know what's goin' on through somebody's head..."

"Yeah, you're right. But you can usually tell by the actions they take. Or at least, the ones they're willing to put effort into doing consistently. Truth is, you could've just gone on not doing any of those things, since you don't gain anything. But you still did them, ya know?"

Issei's expression became a little sullen after hearing that. There was once a woman who said similar things to him…

"That being said, Issei-kun, I wanted to ask you, but: why didn't you get mad at that girl who tickled you yesterday anyway?"

At Kiryuu's somewhat perplexing question, Issei raised a brow.

"Hm? What do you mean? She wasn't trying to humiliate, ridicule, hurt, or do anything else bad to me. She was just trying to have fun. So, why would I get mad?"

Issei answered as if it was obvious. He couldn't help but remember little Maki during childhood. If he were to have gotten angry with her every time she did something mischievous, then what kind of 'Nii-Nii' would he be? Perhaps it is because he has a possibly high tolerance, but he doesn't understand that mentality.

—But in truth, the reason Issei thought this way was because of all of the life-threatening and dangerous situations he's been in. In comparison to those traumatic events and those sick people, someone trying to tickle him doesn't bother Issei at all. If anything, it only further incentivizes Issei to respond with kindness, since he usually just takes their actions as a sign of innocence.

While Issei was perplexed by this, Kiryuu smiled and nodded her head firmly.

"Mm, I see. Yes, yes, I see. That confirms it for me. Alright. I'll make sure to let people know that you're actually approachable."

"Oi, you better not be sayin' that you're gonna start sending people to me for favors or somethin'. I'm a busy guy too, ya know."

"Haha! So you're saying that you'd do it if you had time? Wow, Issei-kun. You really aren't helping the case that you _aren't_ a good guy at all, hehe."

Issei grimaced at Kiryuu's remarks, not being able to respond to her verbally. Kiryuu just nodded her head again.

"You know what, Issei-kun? I think I like you. You mind if we become friends?"

"Hm? Not really, I guess."

"Thanks. Ah, being open to having new friends is usually a sign of being a nice guy too, by the way."

"Erk…"

Then, the school's bells rang throughout the academy, signaling the beginning of the school day. Kiryuu quickly ran past Issei, towards the main school building.

"Oh, that's our cue! C'mon, Issei-kun! If you don't keep up, you'll be la~te!"

Issei rolled his eyes again, but it wouldn't be a lie to say that he had to stifle a laugh. Though Issei increased his pace slightly, as to catch up with Kiryuu, he was still walking at a relatively casual pace.

But, right before entering the main building, Issei's eye caught one last glance at a certain building in the distance. The old school building…

* * *

 **Part 3**

 _ **DING-DONG~ DONG~**_

The school bell rang throughout the academy grounds, this time, signaling that the school day was officially over. Many students began making their way home, or around the school to their respective clubs.

—Finally, it was time for Issei to meet them again. The Devils.

 _ **Knock, knock**_.

A knocking sound was made from the outside of the double door entrance to a certain room in the old school building. The doors to the Occult Research Club room. It was not a harsh knocking, but rather a firm one. It presented a lack of hostility, but no lack of authority.

Inside the room, the entire group of Devils known as the "ORC" were gathered. They were all not so eagerly awaiting the arrival of their so-called "guest". The host of the Welsh Dragon Emperor himself, Hyoudou Issei.

And upon hearing that knocking, it was made clear that the guest had finally arrived.

"Come in."

Rias Gremory, the leader of the Devil group, announced her permission for entry from where she sat on a couch. The moment she did so, one of the doors promptly opened.

 _ **Dakun**_.

The one who entered through the door was none other than the current Sekiryuutei, Hyoudou Issei, their anticipated guest.

"So you've come."

When Issei entered the room, he immediately took notice of each Devil's placement in the room. Rias Gremory was sitting in the middle of one of the couches, the one to the right. Meanwhile, her 3 Devil friends were all standing behind her sofa, as if to silently observe.

Issei said nothing in response to Rias, but there was a resting scowl on his face. Rias motioned to the empty sofa across from her.

"Welcome back, Hyoudou Issei-san. Please, sit."

While maintaining his scowl, Issei lumbered over to the empty sofa across from Rias and sat on it. His sitting posture resembled that of a delinquent, with his right shoe being placed against the side of the coffee table in front of him, making it quite obvious that, not only did he not enjoy being here, but he also held no respect for the Devils present.

Once he found his position, Issei asked Rias Gremory outright.

"Explain why I am here, Devil."

He said it with no reservation and no lack of disinterest. Rias could only force herself to become accustomed to his current attitude towards them, as it was the only way to move forward with the prospect of forming a positive relationship. It also didn't seem like his attitude would be changing anytime soon anyway, so they may as well get used to it.

"Yes, well— first of all, welcome."

Rias once again welcomed Issei in a formal and fairly polite manner. While this was happening, Rias's best friend, Akeno Himejima, poured a cup of tea for the two of them.

Akeno hesitated when she made it to Issei and he suddenly switched his glare to her. But after a few seconds, his glare softened into a deadpan, and he returned his gaze to Rias. Akeno then poured some tea for him, which he did not drink.

"Now, I assume you would like to know what exactly we are here to discuss today, Issei-san."

Rias says that while crossing her legs and taking a sip of her tea. Issei merely scoffed at her.

"Huh… Well, apparently Devils do have ears then. Not so much for a brain if they need someone to repeat themselves to understand something so simple."

Rias placed her tea cup back down while showing no obvious reaction to his remarks.

"Yes, we do possess most of the same traits as humans, fortunately. It allows us to blend in with human society much easier. If not for our similarities, my servants and I would not be leading such pleasant lives here."

Rias responded as formally as she could manage, ignoring any sort of offense she could have taken from Issei's insults. Her pride wasn't worth the lives of her 'servants', after all.

"Oh? And how long exactly have you and your "servants" been living in the human world?"

"Mm, not very long. It's only been a few short years."

"Hoho…. So you've enjoyed your time flyin' around my homeland?"

"Mm, quite."

Issei was left curling his lip downward in an unamused manner towards Rias's seemingly unbothered and refined attitude. It looks like Rias was now taking a more confident approach than last time, without flaunting her devilish pride. Possibly because she seeks to confirm her suspicion that Issei is truly "not evil".

"So, Hyoudou Issei-san. As I said the day of our first meeting, I have asked you to come here so that we may have a discussion."

"What sort of discussion?"

"The same type that I was asking for in the first place. Nothing more than friendly conversation with each other as to clear up any possible misunderstandings that could come up in the future. As well as hopefully building upon a new, positive relationship with each other."

Issei raised a brow after Rias finished her explanation.

"Positive relationship?"

"Of course. As I said a couple days prior, in order to properly coexist with each other, we must develop a relationship that is built on understanding. We are all considered "supernatural beings", and we do want to continue to live in this place peacefully, after all. So, of course, the best course of action would be to have some peaceful discussions with each other. So that we come to look at each other as "allies", or at the very least, co-inhabitants."

Issei fell silent and stared at Rias, his right eye beginning to twitch incessantly. Rias's words echoed through his head to an almost irritating degree, gradually getting louder, and repeating over and over.

' _Coexist…. Coexist… Coexist— Coexist—Coexist Coexist Coexist_ —'

Issei smacked the side of his head twice, as if removing water from his ears. The noises came to silence after that.

Issei lowered his head and whispered under his breath.

"...Coexist, huh…."

He was left recalling the image of his younger self with dead eyes.

 _(_ _《_ _You aren't capable of such things._ _》_ _)_

"...Tch…."

Issei clicked his tongue in a self frustrated state and lifted his head again.

"So, then…. What sort of "friendly" discussion does that exactly entail? Are you going to start interrogating me now? A "positive relationship" based on how much you know about me, in order to keep me in control, Devil?"

Despite Issei's suspicious questioning, Rias shook her head easily.

"Quite the opposite, in fact. While I would like to come to know more about you, that does not mean I intend to "interrogate" you. Rather, I'd like for it to be more of an 'exchange'."

"...An exchange?"

"Indeed. I will ask you a question, and I hope for you to answer it— then, you ask me a question in return, and I shall answer it truthfully. It's as simple as that really."

"Hoh? So you're looking for an equal exchange of information, as a means of "educating" ourselves on each other."

"Correct. —Though, I can't help but feel that you seem to be looking into our intentions a bit too deeply, Issei-san. I assure you that I don't have some malicious, ulterior motives. I simply want to build a positive connection between you and our group, and hopefully even remove your bias towards us. Perhaps we could even call ourselves friends, one day."

To that, Issei almost let out a mad cackle.

"HAHA! —Hmph! That shit sure is rich comin' from a Devil. Especially one with "servants". I betcha you're just lookin' to 'use' me, same as them, huh?"

"Of course not, Issei-san. Again, I have no such insidious intentions as you assume I do. Moreover, your impression with my servants seems to be influenced by your bias against Devils as well. Tell me something, Issei-san. Do you know of how the system which servants are chosen works, exactly?"

Issei was left silent with Rias's question.

Issei remembers Ddraig once explaining that his last host before Issei came to learn about Devils now having a new "servant" or "slave" hierarchy that they didn't have in Ddraig's time. That past host never got to learn how the system works, only that it existed. And Issei did encounter "Zealous", who was apparently a 'rogue servant', or in other words, a "Stray Devil". However, he came to learn nothing about Zealous's servitude, only that he killed his "master".

So, to answer Rias's question, Issei does not know how the system works.

"...You're asking me that question… So I suppose the "exchange" has started then?"

"Well, if you want that to count, then by all means: Yes, please. Answer my question and I shall answer one of yours."

Issei hesitated a moment before answering frankly.

"...No, I don't know."

"Ah, is that so? I see."

Rias picked up her tea and took a sip from it, saying nothing more than that. Rias had suddenly gone quiet and the conversation was stopped dead in its tracks. Issei raised his brow at the change.

"What, is that it? You aren't going to explain it then?"

Rias placed her tea cup back down.

"Ah, would you like to know more about it? In that case, I'll take that as your first question."

"..Wha—"

Rias said it in an almost playfully smug manner, leaving Issei to growl to himself.

[Ah, it has been a while since I've seen you 'played' by a woman, partner.]

' _Quiet, Ddraig…'_

Rias then snapped her fingers, and in response, Akeno brought a chessboard from behind Rias's desk. Akeno then handed Rias a small bag, and from out of the bag, Rias started to place chess pieces on the chessboard. But they were no regular chess pieces. They were red, and their glassy interiors seemed to have something moving within them. Something that resembled a red liquid. —No, Issei could tell that it was more than that. It was most certainly 'power'.

With all of the chess pieces set up on the board, which didn't seem to be a full set, Rias then began to explain the Devil's system of "servants" to Issei.

"To put it simply, I'm afraid that I will have to diverge into the topic of the current state of the Underworld and the Devil's population."

Issei cut Rias off at that.

"—Don't. I have no interest in the worthless affairs of the Devil race. As far as I'm concerned, you can all go extinct."

Rias furrowed her brows at Issei's dismissive attitude towards the subject.

"Excuse me, Issei-san… But, I'm afraid that it's quite necessary to explain in order to understand this topic. If you want to understand the Devil's reincarnation system, then it seems quite imperative that you know what compelled such a system to exist."

Issei clicked his tongue again.

' _Ddraig. Should I let her go on with her explanation?'_

[Well, partner, that is certainly up to you. However, I myself would like to know more about the current state of the world as it concerns your journey. That information may come to serve us well in the future.]

' _Grr…'_

Though he was hesitant about it, Issei could not deny that Ddraig was right. That information could prove vital to accomplishing any possible goals he may have in the future. He may want to die, but he'd rather not cause an unnecessary amount of trouble while doing it.

"...Continue."

"Right. —Well, first of all, I'd like to explain what led us to this point: the 'Great war' between the three powers. As I'm sure you know, Angels Devils, and Fallen-Angels do not get along very well. From the start, we never got along. —We, the Devils, have been at war with the Fallen-Angels since ancient times. We have been fighting over the possession of the Underworld, which is also known as "Hell" in the human world. The Underworld is split into two areas, one for Devils and one for Fallen-Angels. The Devils form pacts with humans and receive their sacrifices and increase their strength. The Fallen-Angels, on the other hand, control humans to eliminate Devils. At this point, the Angels come in to destroy these two races on God's orders, which creates the three forces. This has been going on since ancient times."

"Hmph, interesting shit. Too bad I don't give a fuck. Get to the point."

"Right…. Essentially, this war was a long and dreadful one. Extreme losses were suffered by every side of the 'Three powers'. Angels, Fallen-Angels, and Devils all suffered devastating casualties. To the point in which we Devils lost all four of the original great [Maou] leading us and almost went extinct. As a result of these losses, an armistice between the three sides was struck, in order to avoid the outcome of destroying each other completely. —However, the losses suffered by the Devils were much too substantial. A great majority of the Pure-blood Devils were extinguished, and around half of the [72 pillars] went extinct. Our race was in jeopardy. This is what leads us to the creation of the [Evil Piece system]."

Right before Rias could continue, Issei asked her a question.

"Hoh? So you're saying that this system you're about to explain is the reason behind why the shitty Devil race didn't go extinct?"

"Correct. Some would say it single-handedly saved our race; It prevented our extinction."

"Hahaha!"

Issei gave Rias a darkly amused smirk.

"Heh. Well, in that case, I already fuckin' hate it."

Rias sighed lightly, but continued her explanation nonetheless.

"Yes, well, as I was saying…. That is what led to the creation of the 'Evil Piece system'."

Rias picked up one of the chess pieces sitting on top of the chess board. A pawn piece.

"The Evil Piece system is the Devil reincarnation system which allows Devils to reincarnate humans, and other beings, into becoming Devils, thereby expanding the population of our race. By placing these a certain item infused with power into the body and performing a ritual, it is possible to then reincarnate that being into a Devil. That then makes the Devil who reincarnated them their 'master', and the newly reincarnated Devil becomes the Devil's 'servant'. —These chess pieces are the Evil pieces that the system is based off of. Every High-Class Devil is rewarded with these Evil pieces as a means of starting their own 'peerage'. This is the system which allowed us to avoid extinction."

 **[—?!]**

Issei was left in shock after realizing the information that was revealed to him. Zealous— No, all of the stray Devils that he has killed up to this point— they were all former humans. Humans reincarnated into Devils by the new system they created to prevent their extinction.

To this effect, Issei realized, his kill count for 'humans' may be even higher than he could have ever thought before.

But more than that, there was a detail that replaced his confusion…with anger.

"...Reincarnation…. Are you saying that those who become "servants"...they are those who are killed?"

"Hm? Oh, well, there are those who were caught in unfortunate circumstances and met untimely ends. I suppose the number of them compared to those reincarnated conventionally wouldn't be high, but as it pertains to my group specifically, only one of our members has been revived. That person being Kiba Yuuto, the [Knight] of my peerage."

Soon after Rias finished saying that, the room felt like it had gone completely silent. The atmosphere became heavy. The light from the candles placed around the room seemed to dim, and it became a bit harder to breathe, as if the room itself was having the oxygen sucked from it.

This atmosphere of oppression— it was the one that was most usually felt when the aura of the Sekiryuutei was being released.

"Hooooh…"

In fact, that dark red aura was being seeped off from Issei's body and traveled around the floor of the room, touching the feet of anyone who had them grounded.

"... **So what you mean to say is that it is a common practice for Devil scum to kill people and force them into servitude, right?**..."

 **[—!]**

Due to the oppressive atmosphere that overcame the room, Rias was hesitant to answer, feeling sweat run down her forehead. But she answered nonetheless, trying her best to keep her calm and collected demeanor.

"...It…. N-No, I would have to say that it is not a common practice… In fact, it would be looked down on to do such a thing, as it is an immoral practice…. I was more referring to when a prospect would meet an untimely demise and a Devil would then revive them so that they may serve another purpose again…"

"... **Hoho** … " **Serve another purpose", huh? That's a pretty way of justifying reviving a dead person into servitude without their consent... Since they're just dead anyway, it's alright to assume that you have the right to give them a new life entirely devoted to servitude with you, right?…. As if any of you Devils don't have the foresight to indirectly affect the lives of those who you seek to attain, thereby having them "coincidentally" fall under your servitude under the pretense of being a "savior"... The greed of Devils makes all of you too easy to read. And let me warn you, Rias Gremory. The more that you exhibit those common traits of any scumbag Devil, the more you convince me that I shouldn't be seeking "coexistence", but rather "domination"... I'll have an enjoyable time putting Devils in their place**..."

Rias felt a choke in her throat before gulping some saliva.

"...I-I can assure you that no such thing has taken place as it relates to myself…. Every one of my servants had the choice to become a servant of mine…. Even Yuuto, who was near death, was given the choice… We were simply fortunate enough to find each other before he could pass, but he was the one who agreed to become a servant for the purpose of survival….. We, the Gremory family, would not condone the practice of forcing others into servitude. We are a family that likes to pride itself on the fact that we treat our servants kindly. And I do not plan to break that tradition…"

Though Rias tried her best to clear her name, it took a great deal of time for the oppressive aura and atmosphere to clear enough for her fear to dissipate.

The thing that saved Rias was none other than a memory in Issei's mind, sparked by her words.

The memory of the Fallen-Angel from the past, Bal, when referring to the Gremory.

 _("Well, Devil or no Devil, even I have to admit that girl's in good hands…. Most Devils are shit. I'm sure you know that. But, I guess there's always one or two that happen to not be irredeemable shitbags, ya know?")_

"..."

Issei silently relieved the area of his aura, allowing the atmosphere to lighten up.

"Hmph… So then… This "piece" system is what was able to "turn" your little friends here into Devil servants of yours? So they were human once before?"

"Mm, well, yes…. For the most part."

Issei narrowed his eyes when she whispered to herself, but carried on.

"I see. I guess that explains your crow friend bein' a Devil now, huh."

Issei finished that by lifting his finger towards Akeno, standing behind Rias's couch with the rest of the servants. But upon hearing what he said, Akeno glared at Issei.

"Please do not refer to me as such a thing. I am a Devil servant of Gremory. Rias Gremory's [Queen]. —Nothing else."

"Akeno..!"

Akeno was reprimanded by Rias's quick whisper and stern expression. Issei somehow found it slightly amusing and smirked. Compared to Issei's burning hatred, the one Akeno expressed through her reaction was like that of a child with a grudge. Perhaps her hatred did run deep under the surface, but from what Issei knows: if her hatred really was as bad his own, then she would have no hope of controlling it so well. So rather than finding it relatable, he found it more "cute" than anything.

"Huh. Is that so, woman? Well, as far as I was concerned, you were just a child when I met you. Nothing more. And now, you are just a Devil….. Though, I would've hoped you were more than _that_ , at least."

Akeno averted her gaze from Issei's and spoke in a low tone, causing Issei to smirk in return.

"...You do not know me…"

"Heh. Sure, I don't. Maybe it's better that way. If I don't like what I find out, the thought of killing you may just become easier. Just like with the rest of your group."

Despite it not necessarily being a threat, the entire group of Devils was left silent with that. In fact, the more nonchalant or roundabout attitude that Issei held towards saying such a thing was what was most concerning.

Rias decided to cut the tension with a clearing of her throat.

"Ahem. Anyway, Issei-san. —Ah, speaking of which, may I call you "Ise"?"

"Pssh. Trying to become familiar with me, huh, Devil?"

"Well, part of accepting each other as allies is to become familiar with one another—"

"—I never said I would become allies with you, Devil."

Rias sighed after Issei's swift interruption.

"...Right. Well, part of becoming 'co-inhabitants', I suppose. At least to have a relationship that is not "enemies". Besides, I would much rather refer to you by your name instead of "Hyoudou Issei"— And I would also rather have you calling me Rias, as well, instead of "Rias Gremory". It's more of a formality than anything."

"I will call you what I please, Devil. What you call me does not concern me, I do not plan to associate with you anymore than necessary."

"...You aren't making this very easy, Ise…"

"Did I say that I would, Devil?"

Once again, Rias was left sighing deeply.

"Haaah…. Very well…. I understand. You've made your stance very clear. I won't bother with those formalities…. But, at least know that I won't consider you an enemy. Nor will I consider you a "threat", from any point here on out, so long as you do nothing to endanger this town or my servants. Perhaps you won't ever see us as allies, but that is fine. So long as we are not enemies, that is what matters most."

Finally relaxing her nerves, Rias took one more sip of her tea.

"...So then, if I may, I would like to ask you some things as well, Ise. You're free to answer any of them you wish. If not, then it's fine. You can simply remain silent. Since there's nothing I can do about it anyway."

Issei rolled his eyes and frowned, but agreed nonetheless.

"Hpmh… Ask what you want, Devil."

"Thank you. In that case, I'd like to start with this question for one."

Rias asked while placing her finally empty tea cup down.

"When exactly did you begin your life as the Sekiryuutei?"

Issei smirked and gave her an overly sarcastic response.

"When I was born."

Rias frowned in disappointment.

"...Right. I suppose I can blame no one besides myself for that. Let me rephrase it then. 'When exactly did you first discover or unlock your Boosted Gear', is what I'd like to ask."

After Rias asked him that, Issei's expression gradually shifted. His right eye tightly shut and he averted his gaze elsewhere. His expression had become dark.

"...When I was six years old…"

Rias, and even the rest of her group, displayed expressions of shock at that information.

"Only six years old..! To unlock such a high level gear at such a young age— A Longinus Class..! It must have taken some heavy circumstances for that to occur…"

Issei's frown became a scowl and his expression darkened further. Yet he remained silent.

"Alright then. My next question is: Have you ever unlocked Balance Breaker?"

 **[—!]**

Issei's mind was suddenly rampaged with the flash of traumatic images related to both times he unlocked his Balance Breaker, perfect and imperfect. At this point, his expression had become so dark that it looked like shadows were overtaking his face. His throat even began to let out a low growl.

—To Rias, it seemed like Issei refrained from answering through his silence, so she asked another question.

"...Very well. Another question then. To me it would be considered the most important one."

Rias looked straight at Issei and asked him frankly.

"Ise, why do you hate Devils so much?"

—Issei's mind came to a halt upon hearing that question.

It felt as if his entire life flashed before his eyes, at an unreasonable speed. But this time, it was silent, and the invasive images passed like a fleeting shadow. The silent barrage of trauma was ended with one last memory.

 _The memory of "that day"._

….

….

….

The deafening silence in the clubroom was broken when Issei fixed his sitting position on the couch and leaned forward a bit. He held his head down with an unnatural shadow cast over the top half of body, and placed his hands together.

Issei's voice came out in a low, eerie tone.

"...Rias Gremory. Ten years ago, the town of Kuoh suffered a catastrophic earthquake which ended with a large amount of casualties. —This was a lie. There never was such an earthquake. The truth is that Kuoh was attacked. Attacked by an inexplicable amount of "monsters" known as 'magical beasts' that wreaked havoc throughout the town. The "earthquake" that had supposedly taken place was actually nothing more than a cover-up story fabricated by the Devils who were responsible for it."

 **[—?!]**

The group of Devils, most especially Rias, went wide eyed when realizing the subject.

"So you know about that..! But how..!"

Before Rias could question it any further, Issei continued, as if not hearing her at all.

"—After the event took place, the Devils who had arrived on scene that day, they erased the memories of all of those directly involved with the incident…. All except for one boy. One boy who did not get caught..."

Once again, the air grew thick, and the candle lights began to dim as the flames on them shrunk. Rias's eyes grew even wider as she began to realize the truth behind Issei's story.

"The Devils who had arrived were many, and some were obscenely powerful. Those four Devils that appeared in the sky together, they were the most powerful. And amongst those four, there was one Devil who stood out. One who's flowing, crimson hair shimmered in the moonlight. —The one who was said to have been the "target" of this "possibly coordinated attack". The one who happened to hold a certainly notable name amongst Devils. The one who was related to that young Devil girl in the forest that 'the boy' encountered. —They, who held the name [Gremory], were the targets behind this attack, an attack on what they considered their territory..."

Just as the atmosphere became darker and heavier than ever before, Issei slowly lifted his head up to look at the Devils…

—And within the darkness of his expression was a set of red glowing eyes, and a deranged smile filled with hatred.

 _ **"** **..THAT, ABOVE ALL ELSE, IS WHY I LOATHE YOU, DEVIL OF GREMORY..."**_

And just like that, the light from the candle flames was swiftly snuffed out.

 _ **Foo!**_

The room was left in almost pitch black darkness. The only light that graced the room, was the light that peered in through the crack between curtains covering the window, behind Issei's couch. The dim, orange light from that sunset cast itself on Issei's back, turning his form into nothing but a dark, eerie silhouette.

Everything in the club room was left silent and unmoving.

…

…

…

…

 _ **Creak**_..

Rias almost flinched when she saw the silhouette grow in size due to Issei suddenly standing up. The sound of a creak broke the silence, followed by a few stepping sounds. Then, finally the clacking sound of a door being opened, and shut.

 _ **Dakun!**_

Before they even knew it, Hyoudou Issei, the Sekiryuutei, was gone.

…

"Haah…"

Rias let out a sigh of relief in the silence, and placed her head in her hands.

"...I remember thinking that it may have been possible to convince him to join my peerage….. How foolish I was…."

* * *

 **Part 4**

It was the next day, after school. Yet another school day passed Issei without consequence. Issei was making his way home after purchasing some cat food for his new "apparently" pet.

"Hmm…. The cat from back home at Nagoya is a fat white cat. This one is a little black cat. What next? A fucking bird?"

"Huaa..!"

 _ **Thud!**_

Issei's self-speaking session was interrupted when he heard a sudden voice and the sound of something harshly landing against the floor. When he turned around, the first thing he saw was white.

—Scratch that. What he really saw was the body of a young girl who had clumsily fallen face first into the floor, her robes flipped over her head, revealing her white panties.

"...A Sister?"

Issei easily recognized the attire of the young girl. It was certainly the dress of someone related to the church. A Sister's clothing.

—But Issei was more focused on the odd feeling he was receiving. For some reason, despite the fact that this girl was dressed in attire related to the catholic church, something that Issei has come to feel only contempt and disgust for… Issei was not receiving such a feeling this time. Instead, he was receiving an oddly familiar feeling.

A feeling that reminded him of someone precious to him…

"Ah.."

Issei snapped himself out of it with a shake of his head. He approached the body and offered a hand to her, after swiftly pulling her dress back down to cover her bottom.

"Are you alright?"

The girl took Issei's hand and stood up slowly. She spoke in a foreign language.

" _Aau_.. _Perché_ _continuo_ _a_ _inciampare_... _Oh, mi dispiace._ _Grazie_ _mille_.."

 _'Hm? Italian? So she's a foreigner.'_

Issei recognized it right away due to it being one of the many languages that he studied with Marie in his past.

Then, a gust of wind blew by.

 ** _Foosh!_**

"Huaa!"

The Sister's veil was blown off due to the gust of wind, but Issei caught it in his right hand immediately. When he brought it back to hand the veil to her, the Sister's appearance was revealed.

—Her blonde hair, which was hidden underneath, falls down onto her shoulders. Her straight blonde hair sparkles with the soft light of the sunshine above them.

Then, Issei's eyes moved down towards her face.

"—."

—In what had felt like possibly one of the first times in his life, Issei was left awestruck and unable to speak.

The Sister possessed the most beautiful emerald-green eyes. Eyes as clear as water, but with a color that matched a calm grassy plain, and with all of the same serenity. Their color reminded him of the jewel on his Boosted Gear, but with a strikingly different impression.

Instead of receiving the feeling of a mysterious temptation, filled with power and hunger, like with the Boosted Gear…. This feeling he received was nothing more than what was being portrayed within the clear vision of those irises.

—Purity and innocence. An ignorance stemming from kindness. A gentleness birthed from charity. A feeling of comfort. A feeling of familiarity.

….

When was the last time he looked into someone's eyes and felt such a thing? When was the last time he ever met someone who didn't immediately have those looks in their eyes? Looks of fear or contempt or unease?

It was almost enough to bring a tear to his eye….

"A-Ano…"

The Sister darted her eyes back and forth in an embarrassed manner. Issei had yet to release the hand he picked her up from.

"Ah..!"

Realizing his lateness, Issei released the Sister's hand. He was still left a bit lost.

"Ah… Um, ah."

He then realized he was holding her veil and handed it back to her.

"Ah, sorry. Here."

Issei handed the veil back to her while speaking in Italian. The Sister's eyes widened after receiving the veil.

"Ah, thank yo… Eh?! Y-You can understand me?!"

"Ah, of course. I am speaking Italian after all."

"I-I see! Thank goodness! I was having trouble since I got here because I do not speak Japanese very well… And I was lost, but since people don't understand what I'm saying..."

She held her hands together and said that in a sadly disheartened manner. Issei noticed the traveling bag she was carrying with her.

"Traveling?"

Issei asked the girl curiously, but she shook her head.

"No, that's not it. I was appointed to the Church in this town… You must be a resident of this town. It's a pleasure to meet you… Um.."

"My name is Hyoudou Issei. Nice to meet you."

"Y-Yes! Nice to meet you, Issei-san! My name is Asia Argento!"

Issei couldn't help but smile lightly. It was an odd feeling, the feeling that he could smile and it would be alright. How rarely did he feel like he wanted to smile like this?

"Asia, huh? That's a beautiful name. Though I may be a little biased, living in this country and all."

"E-Ehehehe, really?"

Issei was joking around with a smirk. Above all, when was even the last time that he joked around so freely? Even with his friends back home, most of his jokes were usually based on some sort of sarcasm or pessimism. But he hasn't made lighthearted small-talk esque jokes in a while.

"Ah, but you said that you're trying to get to the church?"

"Y-Yes, that's right. But I can't seem to find it…"

"I know where it is. I'll take you there."

The girl— Asia Argento's face sparkled like glitter after hearing that.

"R-Really?! T-Thank you~! I'm so grateful! This must be the divine intervention of God!"

Issei lost his smile and caught himself looking down to the rosario crosses on both of their chests. Especially his own.

"God?..."

Asia's vision was also caught by Issei's uniquely designed cross hanging from his neck. She brightened up when noticing it, and clasped her hands together happily.

"Ah! Could it be that Issei-san is also a believer like meee~!? T-This is too good to be true! This is surely because of the Lord's judgement! Uwah, I'm so happy~!"

As much as Issei may have wanted to deny it with disgust, Asia's purity prevented him from doing so. Instead, he just smiled sadly and held the cross in his hand.

"...Ah, no, I'm not… Sorry…. This belonged to someone else before… I just came to possess it later…"

Asia lost her smile, but it was replaced with a curious look instead.

"Oh… Was it possibly a gift?"

—Issei suddenly felt the sensation of the moment when Marie's cold hand placed the cross in his palm.

"...No."

Issei's lip almost quivered, but he avoided it by frowning sadly.

"...It is a memento…. An 'unfortunate gift'…"

Asia seemed to understand it with his response. She closed her eyes, took hold of her rosario, and lowered her head.

"May they rest in peace."

Asia bowed her head and gave a silent prayer. The simple gesture touched Issei's heart deeply.

Issei hated the church. In his eyes, they inspired a culture of wrongdoings and blind devotion, under the justification that it was for 'the Lord'. It was this mentality that even led to cults like Genesis being formed. And yet, they still saw it fit to fault committed followers like Marie just because of their cowardice.

He hated them. He despised them. He loathed them. —But, just like that little girl back in Nagoya who paid her respects to the Genesis victims' grave— And just like Marie, it was proven to him that there was also some good amongst those in the church.

Asia's kind gesture did leave him wondering something which made him appreciate it all the more though.

—That was: Was there ever anyone who prayed for Marie when she was gone?

…..

That thought alone was enough to fill Issei with an uncontrollable conflict of emotions. So much so that he could feel the desire to scream out in anguish and rage.

—But, as with all other emotions, it would have changed nothing. And for that reason, it was pushed aside.

"...So the church, right? Follow me.."

"Eh? A-Ah, yes! P-Please lead the way..!"

With that, Issei began leading Asia towards the only church in Kuoh. While walking, the two engaged in some casual small talk.

"Say, Asia. I find it a bit odd. There's only one church in this town, and that one is abandoned. Are you sure this is the place you've been appointed to?"

Asia answered with a slightly nervous tone.

"Eh? A-Ah, yes…. It's that one…"

Issei raised a brow at her attitude, but still detected no deceit in her words. Rather, he felt a little sadness from her when saying it.

"Is that so? Well, I'll believe you if you say so."

"T-Thank you…"

The two continued their walk silently. Ddraig took the opportunity to communicate with Issei.

[Partner. This person has a Sacred Gear.]

(—?!)

 _'Really..!'_

[Yes, it seems so. Not a powerful one, but it does not seem to be an inconsequential either.]

 _'I see..! I must have been too distracted to realize it before, but I definitely notice it now…'_

"Uwaaaaaah!"

Issei's thought process was halted by the sound of a child's yelp. Looking around, the sound originated from the park that Issei and Asia were passing. There was a boy who had fallen and held onto his knee in pain.

Despite what many would believe about him, Issei's actual first instinct was to help. That's why he stepped forward, heading towards the park.

But suddenly, Asia, who was behind him, swiftly passed him and walked towards the boy in the park.

"Hey."

Asia went towards the boy who was sitting down and crying and knelt beside him. Issei followed closely after.

"Are you okay? Boys shouldn't cry with a minor injury like this."

Asia patted the boy's head gently to comfort him, but the boy didn't understand what she was saying. Asia just maintained a very kind expression. She then put her palm over the boy's knee, where he had injured himself.

In the next moment, a green light orb appeared from Asia's palm and flashed onto the boy's knee. And within a few short seconds, the wound suddenly disappeared as if it was never there.

—Sacred Gear.

A special ability possessed by certain people. Special weapons, abilities, and even spirits. This was most certainly the effect of that. Those two little 'rings' that appeared on Asia's delicate fingers, those were her Sacred Gear.

Issei was left in amazement.

 _'This is also the power of a Sacred Gear…. So there's even ones that heal to this effect?... There are so many different types of it.'_

[Indeed. As I explained to you in the past, there are all manner of Sacred Gear that exist in this world. Those that heal, those that destroy, those that find, those that repair, and many more. This happens to be one that heals. And a very good one, it seems.]

The boy's wounds disappeared and he stood up with surprise.

"Here, your wounds are healed. The pain should be gone now."

Asia pats the boy's head and looks back at Issei.

"I'm sorry. But I had to."

Asia giggles while sticking her tongue out at Issei. It was a gesture that Issei couldn't help but find cute. The boy, who was shocked before, ran off with a happy smile.

"Thank you, onee-chan!"

The boy ran off while expressing his words of gratitude. Issei translated for Asia, who was left unable to understand it.

"He said: Thank you, onee-chan."

Asia smiled happily in return. When Asia stood back up, Issei pointed down towards her hands.

"…That power…"

"Yes, it's the power to heal. It's a wonderful power that God gave me."

Even though she was smiling, Asia's expression held some sadness. It was much too easy for Issei to tell that there was some sorrow connected to the subject of the Sacred Gear. Most likely related to a dark past of some kind. For that, Issei had sympathy.

"Y'know, Asia, I actually have one of those too. An ability like yours. It's called a Sacred Gear."

Issei admitted that outright while pointing at his left arm.

[Partner. Are you sure it is wise to reveal such a thing to this person?]

 _'Yes, Ddraig. I trust her.'_

[I would not have expected you to trust this girl so easily.]

 _'You are welcome to present an example as to why I should not.'_

Asia covered her mouth in astonishment to Issei's announcement.

"I-Issei-san has a power similar to mine?! I-I-I have never gotten the chance to meet someone like me! T-This is an honor! I'm really truly happy! This is it! This most certainly must be the divine intervention the Lord!"

Asia began praying again in almost comical manner. Issei laughed at her cute mannerisms.

"Ahahaha. Really? You've never encountered another Sacred Gear user at the church? Maybe a warrior of some sort?"

Asia's shook her head to Issei's question.

"No. Because of my power, I was seen as a very important figure like a saint. So I didn't have the opportunity to meet many types of people. I was usually kept away and didn't have any friends. The church deemed those sorts of things unnecessary, since my purpose was only to heal those in need. Having a life outside of that was unnecessary."

Issei very quickly lost his smile after Asia finished her explanation. Soon, his previously lighthearted expression was replaced with a darker one.

"..But it's okay. I was happy to serve the Lord, if even just for a bit.."

Issei scowled, but changed his expression for Asia's sake. He asked her with a serious face.

"Asia."

"Yes?"

"You've...never had a friend.."

Asia smiled weakly and twiddled with her fingers, as if a bit shy to admit it.

"..N-No, I have not, ehehe…"

At her confirmation, Issei made his decision without hesitation.

"I see… In that case."

Issei held his hand out to her.

"..Asia. Would you let me be your first friend?"

"...?!"

Asia's eyes widened and her expression made it very clear how shocked she was to hear such a question. But, after a few seconds, she smiled and nodded with teary eyes.

"..Y-Yes! That would make me very happy!"

Seeing her reaction, Issei smiled softly.

"Good. Now, let's get you to that church."

"Yes..!"

Now with a newly formed friendship, Issei and Asia made their way to the church together. They continued their small talk, walking for only a few minutes before reaching the church. Upon reaching it, Asia matched the location up with the one that was on her map, confirming the location.

"Yes, this is it!"

Issei smiled at Asia's joyful reaction. But, the moment they stopped before the entrance to the church, his expression suddenly shifted.

[Partner.]

Even without Ddraig's warning, Issei's menacing expression made it obvious that he had realized it.

—In this "abandoned" church which seemed to be lit from the inside, there were Fallen-Angels gathered together.

"Yay! We've reached it, Issei-san! Oh, would you like to come in for some tea—"

When Asia turned her gaze towards Issei, her body froze in place. Looking up, she could no longer see the body of her new friend, "Issei-san".

Instead, she only noticed a dark, tall figure with the glowing red eyes of a predator.

 _ **Slip!**_

Just as Asia was about to stumble and fall back from fear, Issei caught her by the wrist.

"Asia…"

He was smiling as if nothing had happened.

"I would love to."

* * *

Inside of the church, there were two women sitting in the main area, down the aisle. They both stood in different places away from each other, as if waiting for someone to appear.

One woman was a tall, busty vixen with long, blue colored hair. The other woman had a seemingly younger appearance, similar to that of a young girl's, with sharp blue eyes and blonde hair done into twintails.

Both woman appeared to be waiting patiently for something, or rather, someone. Little did they know, that person had just arrived outside. And she was, unfortunately for them, not alone.

 ** _Dakun_** …

The doors to the church entrance opened, catching the attention of the two women. They stood upright, realizing that the person they were waiting for had appeared at the door.

"Raynaaare! She's here!"

The blonde haired woman called out towards a doorway, signaling for one of her allies to meet with them. The Fallen-Angel Raynare appeared from out of that hallway, entering the main gathering area of the church.

"Ah, finally."

Raynare frowned with annoyance as she took in the appearance of the woman who stood at the entrance, her figure being revealed by the slowly opening doors.

"Now all that's left is for Donasheek to return. Tch, honestly. Took this damn witch long en—"

But, her mind screeched to an instantaneous halt as the doors opened further with a loud creak, revealing another menacing figure.

 _ **CREAK**_ …

The figure of a true demon.

 **[—?!]**

—In one moment, Raynare's mind had already processed the image of her own death and the death of her allies.

"A-Ano, I have arrived! Please excuse me for my tardiness!"

Asia bowed at the entrance before taking a step in. Issei followed closely behind her with an expression that held malicious intentions, only shifting it back to a smile whenever Asia would glance at him.

"Huh? Who's this?"

The blonde haired woman asked while she and her vixen ally approached the two guests. Meanwhile, Raynare could only stand frozen still in the background. Asia introduced her friend to the Fallen-Angel women.

"Oh, this is my friend, Issei-san! I met him when I was lost and he helped me find my way here! That's why, as thanks, I invited him in for some tea!"

Asia announced Issei excitedly, leaving the Fallen-Angel women to raise a brow at the other human. For some reason unknown to them, his seemingly "blank" expression looked quite unsettling in a way...

Thinking nothing of it, the blonde haired woman shook her head and gave a fake smile.

"I see! Well, welcome! It's nice to meet you! And also, considering that this is technically our first time meeting in person, it's nice to meet you as well, uh."

"I am Asia Argento!"

"Right! Asia-chan! I'm Mitlet! And this big breasted lady here is Kalawarner! We'll be taking care of you from now on, so let's get along!"

The newly introduced Fallen-Angels, Mitlet and Kalawarner, gave them fake smiles. Asia, not realizing it, only smiled in return.

"Come sit down, Issei-san. I will bring you some tea shortly."

"Sure."

Asia led Issei into one of the many aisles of the church to sit in, the one at the very front. Raynare was standing not too far away from them. Asia quickly left into another room to prepare Issei's tea.

The moment Asia passed the doorway, Issei's smile vanished without a trace. And his bone-chilling gaze was set straight through Raynare's soul.

"Hii..!"

Raynare let out a quiet shriek of fear as Issei suddenly stood up. Without warning, he began to approach the trembling Raynare.

"Woah, hey there, little boy. Where are you—"

Mitlet stepped out with her arm to halt Issei, but then he switched his gaze down to her.

 **[—?!]**

Within a seconds time, and without even realizing it, Mitlet had already jumped away by over three meters on instinct.

"Wha..?! Mitlet, what are you doing?!"

Kalawarner berated her ally with confusion before stepping forward.

 ** _ZIN!_**

But she was then suddenly locked in place by Issei's gaze which switched to her, as if her body refused to respond to her.

Finally leaving him uninterrupted, Issei walked and stood in front of the fear stricken Raynare.

"Haa… ah.."

Raynare was frozen with fear, her only movements being the quivering of her legs and the twitching of her fingers. Issei's form towered over her silently, and with an overbearing presence, just like once before. He made no obvious movements and simply didn't remove his gaze from her horrified one.

The only sound he made— was the cracking of his fingers.

 _ **Crack**_..

—And in one moment, Raynare's entire throat was ripped from her neck.

 ** _SPLIT!_**

 **[—?!]**

"HAA..!"

—No. Raynare caught her throat with a terrified gasp. It was nothing but another brutal vision of her own death.

"You…."

Issei spoke to Raynare in a dangerously low tone.

"... **What are you planning to do with her, little crow**?..."

"...I…"

Raynare was left at a loss for words, not even being able to properly formulate thoughts in her mind. Kalawarner and Mitlet were left standing in their respective spots, not being able to move from not only Issei's intervention, but also from the shock of realizing that their leader Raynare was practically wetting herself in the presence of a "mere human". They still had yet to understand why their survival instincts were on such high alert.

"... **Answer me, Fallen-Angel Raynare** … **What do you plan to do**?"

Before Raynare could even think to answer Issei's demanding question, Asia had returned with a tray holding their tea.

"Ehehe, I ended up making tea for all of us…"

She came in with an awkward smile, but was confused when she opened her eyes.

"Hm?"

For some reason, all of the women were standing in random positions separated from each other, completely still. Meanwhile, Issei was sitting where Asia left him, a smile still sitting on his face.

"Ah, Asia. Looks like you really can't help yourself, huh. As I thought, you're a truly kind hearted person."

Asia approached Issei with a shy smile.

"N-No, not that much, ehehe…"

Issei stood up from his place and thanked Asia with a sad smile.

"Unfortunately, I think I have to go. I just received a call that says I have to return home now."

Asia gained an expression of sadness at his abrupt announcement.

"...Oh, is that so… But I just brought the tea.."

"I know. I'm sorry. I really wish I could stay longer, but I can't. There are some things I have to do. But look on the bright side, we'll meet again in the future, right?"

Asia smiled brightly and nodded.

"Yes, Issei-san! I will definitely come and see you!"

"Great. Ah, by the way, call me "Ise". That's what my friends call me."

"Yes, Ise-san!"

Issei nodded and stepped past Asia, walking towards Raynare again. The moment he reached her, he leaned into her ear and whispered deeply.

"... _ **Asia and I will meet again**_ … **_Your_ _lives_** _**depend** **on** **it**_."

—With that, Issei made his way out of the church, waving goodbye to Asia as he left.

He was silent on his walk home.

"..."

[Partner, what do you plan to do about those Fallen-Angels? They surely have something planned for that girl.]

"...Hmph…"

Issei lip curled down into a vicious snarl.

 _'That much is obvious…. I will meet with Asia again, of course… I will ask her exactly what her role in that group is, and depending on her answer...'_

—Issei's right eye gave a quick flash of an eerie red light.

 _'I may end up picking black feathers out of my teeth..'_

* * *

"...No… No, no.."

In a separate room of the abandoned church, three Fallen-Angels were gathered together shortly after Hyoudou Issei's departure.

"Raynare. Who was that? What is going on?.."

Mitlet and Kalawarner stood together before their leader, Raynare, hoping for an answer to their question. But Raynare was sitting with her head in between her hands, whispering to herself and still trembling from before.

"...No… I have to do it as quickly as possible, and then disappear immediately after… I can't hesitate anymore… I..."

She held her trembling hands together, ceasing their shaking.

"..I have to move…"

* * *

 **END**

 **BOOM! Okay! Now we're in it! Next chapter is where shit is going down, and it's going down different! This Issei does not take no shit, mark my fucking words on that.**

 **Next chapter will be some sick shit. I know there are those of you who are wondering what Issei were to do if he were to actually "let loose" and went crazy, since everything has just been threats up to this point and it's been a while (years) since we've seen it. That comes next chapter. Hoho, if you're wondering whether there's a little psycho somewhere in Issei, trust me, you'll get your answer… Other than that, I don't want to spoil it. Just know that it ain't exactly going down the way it does in canon.**

 **I'll try to get the next chapter out quickly, hopefully a double feature for Christmas. If not, Merry Christmas! Hanukkah is over so too bad jews, lol. Nah, but happy holidays. I hope your guys holidays are better than mine. My year old cat "Pooka" passed away a few days ago, that kind of being the reason this was delayed, so my Christmas is fucked haha. But don't worry, it shouldn't affect my writing now.**

 **Tell me what you guys think is gonna happen next, since this is unpredictable Issei.**

 **What did you think about the meeting with the Devils? What do you think this means for their relations? Will Issei ever not hate the Devils? What do you believe Issei thinks of Asia? What do you think Issei will do when he finds out what the Fallen-Angels have planned for Asia? What do you think will happen to her? Will they succeed, or will something come in between them and their goal? And if so, what happens if they fail?...**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frozen, it's Christmas!**


	14. Chapter 14: My Friend

**Okay, here we are! The highlight of the 'Raynare arc', and possibly even the conclusion. I warned you guys that it would be short. But, that's does not mean it will be uneventful, oh no, no, no. This one's a doozy. It's been a while since we've seen some Issei do some damage. Despite what Issei may say, he's always trying his best to hold back. But sometimes, you just gotta let loose.**

 **Sometimes, you just can't help yourself. And that shows, right now.**

* * *

 **SCENE**

The day after Issei met with the Devils. The same day that Issei met Asia Argento. It was later now, nighttime. Issei was walking himself home, silently.

Judging by his expression, and the manner in which he is walking in, he is clearly not in a very jolly mood.

[Partner.]

Ddraig communicated to Issei, causing Issei to halt in his step. Though he was not paying attention due to being lost in his own dark thoughts, Issei's instincts alerted him to a certain recognizable presence. The presence of a Devil.

"...There?.."

Issei turned to his left, and he could see what looked like an unused building not too far off in the distance. Inside that building, he could sense the presence of a lone Devil. Not just any Devil. The energy of this presence was unstable, suggesting that it was actually a 'stray'.

[There seems to be a "stray" in that building. What shall we do? Ignore it?]

Issei remained silent for a few seconds. But his gaze was locked onto the building with a dark expression.

"...No… I need to let off a little steam…."

—Saying only that, Issei made his way to the abandoned building.

When Issei reached the entrance of the unused building, he immediately caught a whiff of something rancid. A familiar, disgusting smell. The sweet smell of blood, and the rotting smell of corpses. Issei took a long, deep breath of the scent straight into his nostrils.

"... _ **Sniff**_ …"

While taking in these scents, he found a small part of himself somehow feeling just a bit more...energized?

But then, he heard a voice.

"...Ah, what is this?"

A voice that slithered out like a snake. A womanly voice. Then, from out of the darkness of building's back end, a woman appeared in the air.

"Aaah~, what is this?... This scent…. An alluring scent. Elegant, like fine wine. Smooth, like chocolate. Mouth watering, like grilled meat. Arousing, like pure killing intent. Haaaah~"

A figure appeared, floating in the darkness. The naked torso of a woman practically molesting her own body with her groping. —No, she was not floating.

Rather, she was being held up by a body obscured in shadows. A very large, grotesque looking body.

 _ **DON!**_

Placing a limb down with its thunderous step, the Devil's disgusting body was revealed. A large mass of flesh with a gaping mouth, lined with sharp teeth, in the center. And a quadrupedal body with four animal like limbs. Two of those limbs were holding things like spears, and the back of its body had a snake like tail. Overall, the monster had to be at least 5 meters tall.

The Devil at the top licked its lips as drool escaped its mouth.

"Aaaaah~ This scent..! It's magnificent~ Aaaah, I want it! I want it so much! I've never smelled anything so deliciooooous~!"

[It seems like she's attracted to our aura, partner.]

Issei did not respond. Rather, his attention was completely focused on something else below him.

—The severed head of a woman rested beside his feet. Her face was forever caught in a terrified expression. It was not a disturbing sight to lay eyes on. Not for Issei, not anymore. But, for some reason, he could not look away from it. His gaze was utterly glued to the image.

He could see the blood from her neck colored dark due to drying up. He could see a fly moving around on her glossy eyeball. And he could see the reflection of himself in her dead irises.

…..

This moment— it was reminiscent of a time from his past. A very similar image which would not leave him for the rest of his life.

The cavalcade of emotions that this reminder caused him to feel, they were simply too complex for anyone to ever understand. But, within the whole conflict of feelings he was bombarded with, one always stood out.

"AAAAH~ I WANT TO EAT IT! I WANT TO EAT YOU!"

— _Rage_.

 _ **CRACK, CRACK!**_

With the disgusting sound of something cracking and moving, the large mouth of the Devil's lower half opened wide. Sharp, saliva ridden jaws spread open, and lunged to devour the form of the boy beneath it.

"EEEEEEAAAAAAAT!"

Issei did not move an inch, only continuing to hold his head down with hair concealing his face.

—But, through the strands of his hair, a wickedly deranged smile visible.

 **"..Eat?"**

 _ **CHOMP!**_

The jaws clamped down on Issei's form, devouring him entirely and swallowing him whole. The stray reeled back in ecstasy, as if accomplishing its life goal.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah~, yes! It's so gooooood~! Aaaaaaaah, I want to savor the taste, but I want to rip it apart! Aaaaaaaaah, it's too much~!"

But in the midst of her borderline orgasmic state, stray felt an unpleasant boom within her insides.

 _ **THUMP!**_

"Guh!... Eh?"

Her meal was not settling well.

 _ **THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!**_

"Gu-ha!"

Then, from all around the inside of her body, unpleasant movements were being made. Movements that we're soon to translate into terrible pain.

 _ **THUMP!**_

"Ah!— Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

 _ **SPLIT!**_

And from one of the sides of her large body, a hole was made, and blood spurted outward. Then from the hole, something emerged. A hand— No. A bloodstained gauntlet.

 **[Boost!]** — **[Transfer!]**

With the announcement of the Sacred Gear, a power was transferred to the stray, and it flowed through her body. For a moment, she felt a brief sense of euphoria as the pain subsided. But then, only a moment later, it was once again overpowered by the pain of being torn through on another end of her body.

 _ **SPLIT!**_

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

 **[Boost!]** — **[Transfer!]**

Issei was ripping holes through the Devil's lower body, boosting his power, and then transferring it to the Devil. Then repeating the process continuously, in different areas. He was giving the Devil strength, while simultaneously killing it from the inside.

Or, in other words, he was feeding it more and more power— so that it would continue dying slower.

 _ **SPLIT! SPLIT! TEAR!**_

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The Devil writhed in extreme pain, slamming its large body against the walls of the building in desperation. Bleeding profusely from multiple gaping wounds, screaming its lungs out, and having its inner organs destroyed— The Devil would surely die soon.

But not soon enough.

 _ **TEAR!**_

"Guh—!"

Before even having a chance to react, something tore through the Devil's stomach. But not it's lower stomach, no. Rather, something emerged from the stomach of the human torso she possessed.

 _ **TEEEEAAAAAAAR!**_

"—GUAAAAAAAAH!"

While spraying blood from her stomach, something popped out of the Devil's abdomen. It was the entire blood drenched upper body of the boy— the monster, she had just eaten.

" **WHAT'S WRONG**?"

The beast, sticking out from her own body, turned towards her and caught a hold of her throat with an iron grip.

In the Devil's eyes, she was faced with nothing more than a powerful mass of darkness, come to rip her soul from her being. But reality was not too far from her perception.

What was holding her was certainly a dark being. The only difference was that it indeed had a body. One that was covered in her own blood and guts— And maintained a maniacal smile, with eyes burning with madness.

" **EAT ME**."

The beast pulled back one of its arms, and plunged it within the Devil's mouth, piercing through its throat, and exiting the back of her head.

" **EAT ME**!"

With that being the final blow that killed her, the Devil's legs lost their strength, and its giant body collapsed onto the floor.

 _ **DON, DOOOON!**_

A cloud of dust was left hanging over the Devil's large body, but for some reason, there were still sounds being emanated from inside of it.

 _ **SPLAT! CRACK!**_

The sounds of something snapping and splashing. It took a few seconds for the scene to become visible again. When it did, it was revealed that Issei was still attacking the dead body of the Devil.

He was repeatedly slamming his naked hand into the Devil's mouth, breaking its jaws, and smashing whatever was left of its throat. All the while, he was shouting madly.

" **WHAT'S WRONG**?! — **EAT ME**! **EAT ME**! **EAT ME**!"

 _ **SMASH! SLAM! CRUNCH!**_

"— **EAT ME**!

 _ **SPLAT!**_

Issei continued slamming and crushing the Devil's head.

"— **EAT ME**!"

 _ **SLAM!**_

Until there was nothing left of it, but a red mush.

" **EAT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**!"

 _ **DOOOOOOOOOOOONN!**_

With one final slam, Issei broke the ground beneath the heap of meat, only being interrupted by his partner.

 **[—Boy.]**

—Issei froze in his place.

….His hand was plunged within a red mess, and his entire body was coated in blood. The twisted smile had remained on his face.

But, in the silence of his surroundings, it slowly faded away.

"..."

His maniacal expression was replaced by a dark, methodical composure. With blood dripping from his hair, he remained perfectly still for a few short moments.

…..

 _ **Drip**_ ….

…..

—Until he shot his gaze towards the entrance of the building, alerted to the presence that Ddraig had snapped him out of his craze for.

 _ **WHOOSH!**_

In one swift motion, the large doors to the building's entrance were suddenly blown open by a powerful force. And behind them, the forms of multiple Devils were revealed. The Devil group of Gremory.

"...Wha…"

Rias Gremory let out a small voice in disbelief. She and her entire group had just witnessed an intensely disturbing scene through the peek of the entrance. And now, the doors were wide open, and the figure of Issei was nowhere to be seen.

"... **Devils** …"

—He was behind them.

With stiff posture, Rias hesitantly turned around to see him. Issei was looking back at her over his shoulder, with a green, dragon's eye.

"...Is…"

Rias's voice was caught in her throat, and she failed at speaking his name. Issei said nothing, but stared directly into her soul with a wide open eye.

….

….

….

 _ **Step**_ …

And just like that, he walked away without a single word uttered.

* * *

"Mm? Ah, yeah. He said he can't because he has work to do."

The dead of night, a random woman was walking home while speaking to someone on the phone. She walked and talked nonchalantly for a few minutes. Until, she noticed an imposing figure approaching her from the distance.

"Hm?"

The figure trotted forward with squelching steps. It wasn't until the figure was exposed in the light of a street lamp that she flinched in horror.

"Eeek!"

—A very tall young man drenched in blood, casually passed by her frozen body, without so much as a glance towards her.

"Hah…. Wha…?"

The woman slowly peered over her shoulder to watch the figure gradually disappear into the night, leaving behind only a trail of bloody shoe prints.

…..

"...N-Naomi-chan! Onee-san just saw a walking dead man! It was a spirit! A spirit is haunting this park!"

* * *

 **Part 2**

Another uneventful day passed by Issei. Though the night before was weighing a bit on his mind, he had a clear head, for the most part. After all, he was able to release just a bit of stress yesterday.

Issei made his way through the streets of Kuoh at a leisurely pace. He was considering going to the church, to check on Asia, but "considering" was a lie. In truth, he was already headed there on his way back from school. He didn't even care about dropping his stuff off at home first.

But while he was making his way over there, he stopped in the middle of a random neighborhood. His senses were picking up on something.

[Partner, do you feel that?]

' _Yeah… A Devil…. But not only that…'_

Issei narrowed his eyes in suspicion, and his gaze shifted towards a certain house. When he set his eyes there, he used the enhanced vision in his dragon's eye to focus on it. Almost immediately, he spotted it.

—A magical barrier. It was a concealment, meant to ward off those who would not "belong". It covered the entire house, but it was weak and unstable. It was clearly being held up by someone who had not much experience in the field.

But, above all of that, the two presences in the home was what caught his attention. Both the presence of something demonic— and something slightly holy.

"Ddraig, we're going in."

[As you wish.]

Without hesitation, Issei easily destroyed the barrier with the wave of his arm. The barrier disrupted and disappeared, leaving Issei free to enter. He entered the home without a pause.

Upon entering, he immediately caught onto the familiar smell of blood. Fresh blood. Someone was recently killed. Or rather, 'mutilated'. He could make out the distinct smell of their guts too. And the place it was originating from - was the living room.

Issei briskly stepped into the room and observed the surroundings. The main attraction of his attention being two people.

—One Devil, and one man.

"Hmm, hmm? Ohohoho! Now we have another Devil-kun entering the fray?"

Issei took in the scene set before him.

—A white-headed man with red eyes, wearing priest robes, stood on one side of the living room. Armed with what looked to be a low grade 'holy-sword', and a 'holy-gun' which shoots bullets loaded with compressed holy light. Those weapons must have been what Issei sensed. The man held a wicked smile on his face, and his eyes were clearly indicative of his madness.

Then, on the other side, a familiar Devil. The little white haired Devil known as "Toujou Koneko", sat on the floor with bended knee. —No, she had been shot. There was a bleeding wound in her kneecap. The priest must have shot her while they were having a scrap.

And finally, a dead body nailed upside down to a wall beside Issei. Pinned on the wall with some sort of work tools, and with the image of 'stigmata'. With torso being split open and insides hanging out, it was an unusual crucifixion, to say the least. Clearly revealing of one's own twisted imagination. Though, Issei gave it a few points for creativity.

"Hmm, that's fine too! I can kill two Devils in one night, that'll be fine for me!"

Issei switched his gaze back to the crazy priest. He seemed to have misunderstood Issei as being a Devil.

"Devil? Don't joke around. I'm not going to be lumped in with one of these fucks."

To that, the priest raised an intrigued brow.

"Oho? Oh, oh, oh?"

That was when the priest noticed the cross hanging from Issei's chest.

"Oh! What have we here?! You can't wear that cross as a Devil! More like, I recognize that cross from somewhere! Yes, I've seen it before! Someone was wearing it! Oh, oh, oh?! Could you be an exorcist from some foreign country?! Kuhahahahaha! So then you're one of the churches allies! A part of my former allies, huh! Kyahahaha! Is that so! My bad, I had you mistaken for the Devil scum, that's funny! Since you showed up at the most convenient time, I had no choice but to think that, right? Ah, but I see! So you're an exorcist too! Well, that still doesn't make you my ally though. I was excommunicated after all, so we're on different sides now, haha!"

The priest rambled on and on about things that didn't interest Issei in the slightest. But, one thing did catch his attention. The mention of his familiarity with Issei's cross.

"So you recognize this cross?"

"Hmm, oh yeah! I traveled a lot as an exorcist, so I can guess that I met someone with that thing on. Not sure who though~ I can't remember. All I know is that you're not the one who wore it before, I think."

Well, he was certainly right about that, unfortunately..

"Ah, ah, whatever! Who cares about that! You came here to help me kill this Devil, right? Well, too bad! I call dibs on this one! I can kill this one by myself, so you can go! Buzz off, shoo, shoo!"

Even though the priest was waving him off, Issei paid no mind to him. Instead, he turned his head to the Devil on the ground. Koneko was injured, with her usual stoic composure being maintained, but clearly in a worried state. The sweat on her forehead was enough to portray that. She's at a disadvantage now, after all. Even if it was a lucky shot, in this sort of situation, that kinda mistake can be fatal.

Issei's dead expression only portrayed his apathy.

—But now, he was stuck in an odd position. Part of him tells him that he should just leave, and let whatever happens be, but he can't. Something about the situation was nagging him.

Why is there a priest that he's never met here? Where did he come from? There's one church, and it's abandoned. The only ones in it are Fallen-Angels and Asia. Unless, he was also a part of their group. In which case, he could be a 'rogue' priest. After all, he did say "former allies" when referring to the church. He said he was excommunicated. Which means that Issei can freely kill him. Though, he wouldn't have hesitated either way.

…..

And one more thing, the thing that was pinned to the wall beside Issei.

A dead man. A middle-aged man, judging from his appearance. Killed in a very brutal manner, without so much as a chance for resistance.

"...Oy.."

Issei called out to the crazy priest. When he caught the priest's attention, he pointed towards the body.

"Why'd you kill this guy?"

The priest tilted his head at Issei's question, and answered in a bizarre way.

"Hmm, hmm? What do you mean? Obviously I did it because~, he was a regular criminal who has been summoning Devils, so I had to kill him. Huh? Are you shocked? Aren't you going to walk away? That's weird? Really weird. I mean humans who make a pact with Devils are scum. Scum indeed. You're a member of the church. Can't you understand that?"

—For some reason, the skin under Issei's right eye twitched once, in an almost violent manner. He was left with his head hanging down, silent.

"..."

Seeing Issei's silence, the priest lifted his gun back to aim at the Devil before him.

"Well, whatever! If you'll excuse me, I have a Devil-kun to attend to!"

Koneko flinched, but due to the pain in her leg, she was too slow to dodge. And the priest pulled the trigger.

—At that point, time began to move in slow motion for Issei.

With his gaze caught onto the face of the dead man next to him, Issei's inner conflict came to a final halt.

The man died with a horrified expression— and tears in his eyes.

 _ **BANG!**_

The gunshot reverberated through the quiet halls of the house, even though it was a small sound due to being a bullet of light. And a sizzling noise was heard after. A trail of smoke was released from the chrome barrel of the priest's gun, obscuring his vision for only an instant. Once he clearly observed the scene before him, he let out a confused sound.

"...Ah?"

A line of smoke was also being released from in between the fingers of the hand that caught the priest's bullet. The red palm opened, dropping the crushed bullet onto the ground below, where it bounced. —Yes, red. That's because this wasn't any ordinary hand. Rather, it was a red gauntlet with a green jewel embedded on its front side.

When the gauntlet lowered from its height, the face of the boy who it belonged to was revealed.

"...I hate Devils…"

—And on his face was an ear-to-ear grin so twisted, that it dwarfed any possible sign of madness that the priest had previously expressed before him.

" _ **...BUT, ABOVE ALL ELSE IN THIS WORLD**_ — _**I HATE YOU ZEALOUS, SELF-RIGHTEOUS, BRAINWASHING, KID-KILLING FUCKS!"**_

 **[—?!]**

Before the priest even had the chance to fire a second shot off, Issei was already invading his personal space. With his left hand, Issei caught onto the priest's gun, and with his right, he clasped the priest's face.

And in one swift motion, Issei slammed the priest's head into the ground, instantly knocking him unconscious, and breaking the wooden floor.

 _ **DOOONNN!**_

The priest's legs dropped instantly, and his head leaked some blood. His body was unmoving. Issei stood straight up and cracked his body in different areas. The patient manner in which he did it in was almost unsettling.

"Get out of my sight, Devil. I'm not some perv who likes it when someone watches."

That was all Issei said to the uneasy Koneko.

—Whether that sexual innuendo was an implication towards Issei torturing the priest, or eating him, was unknown. But, it was the fact that there was a debate that really unsettled Koneko.

"..F-Father Freed! I'm sorry, but..! For some reason, I couldn't erect the barrier properly, and..!"

But the moment was interrupted when another person ran into the room. It was Asia.

"..Eh? Ise-san?"

"...Asia? What're you doing here?"

Asia looked around, and then noticed the body hanging on the wall.

"N-NOO!"

She let out a shrill scream and averted her gaze.

"Asia, don't look at it! Just focus over here!"

Asia hesitantly returned her gaze to Issei, upon which she gained a confused expression.

"...I-Ise-san… Why are you here? Why are you standing over Father Freed like that?"

Issei glanced down at the unconscious priest, presumably named "Freed", and stepped away from him.

"I'm sorry, Asia. This priest killed that man."

"N-No… Father Freed did?... That can't be…"

"I'm sorry, Asia. But that's how it is. That's why I took him down. I came in while he was trying to kill this Devil."

Issei gestured to Koneko behind him. When Asia made eye contact with her, her eyes widened in shock.

"...No… C-Could it be… Ise-san is a Devil?!"

Asia exclaimed in shock. To which, Issei paused for a second, then smirked.

"Ah. —Ahaha, no. I'm not a Devil, Asia."

"Eh?"

"Sorry, were you worried about that? I'm just a human though. Mostly."

Asia seemed to calm down a bit after that.

"..Oh, I see…"

"Hahaha."

Somehow, Issei found her reactions slightly amusing. It was enough to decrease his previous bloodlust. Though, not all the way.

 _ **Shiiin!**_

Suddenly, a red magic circle formed around the back of the room, right by Koneko. Multiple figures emerged from it.

"Koneko-chan! Are you alright?"

The first one being Kiba Yuuto, who was armed and ready with a demonic-sword in his hand. And then, the rest of his group followed.

"Koneko!"

Rias Gremory knelt down beside her injured servant and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have sent you here when you were already overworked. Please forgive me."

Issei rolled his eyes when witnessing the scene, but there was a minor twitch under his eye.

"What happened?"

"...That person saved me."

"That person?"

Then, the group noticed him.

"...Sekir… Ise…"

"Hoh, if it isn't Rias Gremory. Come to pick up her lost kitten. You need to take better care of your pets, little bat."

Rias just averted her gaze from his own. Whether she was feeling a mixture of guilt and fear, she refused to maintain eye contact with him.

Asia, who was beside him now, tried to step forward, but Issei stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

"...I should heal her."

"You can heal Devils?"

"...Yes."

Issei narrowed his eyes while looking back at Koneko. Rias held her servant in a warm embrace, and apologized repeatedly. For a minute, Issei only stared silently at them.

….But then, he released his grip on Asia and allowed her to progress foward.

"...Do what you want, Asia."

"...Thank you."

With that, Asia stepped towards the Devils cautiously.

"A-Ano…"

She pointed down at Koneko's leg wound.

"May I heal her?"

Rias looked at Asia with suspicious eyes, but then turned her head.

"..That's not necessary."

"—Are you refusing Asia's kindness, Rias Gremory?"

Issei interjected with irritated brows. Rias replied hesitantly.

"...A wound like this is something that we can handle."

"I didn't ask if you could handle it. I asked if you were planning to disrespect Asia by refusing her offer."

"P-Please don't fight… It's okay if she doesn't want me to, Ise-san..."

With a few seconds of contemplation, Rias reluctantly agreed.

"...Alright."

Rias confirmed it, and Asia knelt down in front of Koneko. She said it the moment Asia started healing her.

"..Thank you."

Asia smiled softly. Issei merely scoffed and crossed his arms. Though, there was a moment that he felt conflicted about Asia's act of kindness, silently contemplating it on his own. After a quick minute, Koneko's leg was fully healed and she was able to stand up.

But this moment of rest was short lived.

"...!"

Issei's eyes shot towards the ceiling above their heads. Only a moment later, a different colored magic circle appeared there.

 _ **Shiin!**_

 **[—?!]**

"Buchou! There seems be to multiple Fallen-Angels approaching. At this rate, we'll be at a disadvantage."

Rias glanced towards Issei, but he just looked away disinterestedly.

"...We'll have to return to headquarters. Akeno, prepare for transportation."

"Yes."

As Akeno was preparing a magic circle for transportation, Rias called out to Issei.

"Ise. Aren't you going to leave this place? The ally Fallen-Angels to these people will be arriving soon."

Issei clicked his tongue while looking up at the ceiling.

"Tch! Running away? From pigeons? Ha, yeah fuckin' right…. Get out of here, flying foxes. Scamper on back to your nests."

Rias frowned, but gave Issei her gratitude for saving her servant nonetheless.

"...Thank you for saving Koneko."

But Issei just waved it off arrogantly.

"HA! "Saving", she said. Yeah right, don't fuck with me. Just get outta my sight before I add you to the kill count."

Then, Koneko said it.

"...Thank you."

To which, Issei did not turn or respond to.

 _ **Shiiin!**_

In a moment's notice, Rias and her group of servants disappeared from the house, leaving behind only Issei, Asia, and the knocked out Freed. Asia was about to walk towards Freed, in order to heal him, but Issei stopped her.

"Don't heal that man, Asia. He doesn't deserve it."

"...B-But, what if he dies?"

"Then he'll have gotten off easy."

"..."

Asia resigned and stood beside Issei, waiting for the Fallen-Angels to appear.

"...Ise-san."

"What?"

"..You knew that they were Fallen-Angels?"

"Yeah."

"...I'm sorry, I didn't tell you.."

"I didn't tell you I knew, so we're even."

"...Ise-san."

"What is it?"

"..What are you going to do when they come?"

While staring up at the magic circle, Issei's expression gradually became darker.

"...I just wanna have a little talk…"

 _ **Shiin!**_

Then, from out of the magic circle, four Fallen-Angels emerged.

 _ **Foom! Foom!**_

With open wings, the Fallen-Angels descended into the living room, filling up the empty space in front of Issei and Asia.

"Wha—?! It's this guy again!"

The Fallen-Angels immediately took notice of Issei, all of which had similar reactions, aside from one. Issei recognized the first three. Those being the ones he's met: Raynare, Mitlet, and Kalawarner. The last one, the man in trench coat and fedora, he did not recognize. He would assume that it is "Donasheek", the name of the other ally they seemed to mention the day before. And with Freed, he now understood that the entire group of rogues was gathered properly.

"Good timing. Now he can introduce himself to us, considering that Raynare has refused to do so up to this point."

Kalawarner said it while looking at Issei. Mitlet, Kalawarner, and Donasheek all looked down on Issei in a supposedly intimidating manner. Meanwhile, Raynare, their own leader, was already shaking in fear.

"Speak, human. Who exactly are you?"

Donasheek said it while pointing a light-spear at Issei. But Issei snarled in response.

" **Shut your mouths, scum**."

 **[Boost!]**

—And on his left arm, they suddenly took notice of the glowing, red gauntlet.

 **[—?!]**

"T-That gauntlet..! That's..!"

"The Sekiryuutei!?"

"The Red Dragon Emperor's gauntlet?!"

Raynare's three allies all reeled back in shock, quickly being overtaken by an oppressive pressure which covered the entire the house.

 _ **OOHHHMM!**_

Due to the amazing pressure, they were forced to remain completely motionless in his presence. Issei commanded them in an authorative tone.

" **You will all follow me outside**. **And we will have a civil discussion about some things that I want to know**. **Otherwise** , **you will be forcing me to broom up a house full of feathers. Understood**?"

Being completely enveloped by the dominating atmosphere, they could hardly even verbally agree. However, Issei took their silence as agreement enough.

" **Now** , **follow**."

Without waiting for them to follow, Issei made his way out of the house. Despite exiting the home, the pressure inside hardly let up. While the rest of her group was frozen still, Raynare spared no hesitation in walking forward without a word. Seeing that their leader moved forward, they had no choice but to follow as well.

When they made it into the backyard of the home, Issei was waiting for them. Bathed in the soft, white light of the moonlight, his figure resembled nothing but the dark silhouette of some sort of 'demon'. And that was not considering his glowing red eyes.

In a low, unnerving voice, Issei demanded answers from them.

" **I will ask you this only once**. — **What do you plan to do with Asia**?"

The Fallen-Angels were all hesitant to answer, only giving peripheral glances to each other. But while they were hesitating, their leader had made the firm decision to survive.

"W-We were planning to steal her Sacred Gear from her."

 **[—?!]**

The group was shocked to see their leader admit it so easily. But her survival instincts were overpowering any of her rational thoughts.

"Steal?"

Issei raised a brow at the interesting detail. Raynare clarified while still being struck with total fear.

"I-In Grigori, our home base, there is a certain ancient device that allows one's Sacred Gear to be forcefully extracted from their being. W-We stole that device and plan to use it to extract Asia's, so that we can offer it as a gift to our superiors…"

That was her explanation. Issei was skeptical, but he could see that she was telling the truth. Out of suspicion, he consulted his partner through the jewel of the gauntlet.

"Ddraig, is such an act possible?"

Ddraig responded to him aloud.

 **[I'm not sure. But, removing a Sacred Gear which is tied to one's spirit** — **it would surely end in death.]**

 _ **OOOOHHHHMMMM!**_

Just like that, Issei's dark aura pulsed out at full blast, easily cracking the floor beneath him.

 **"THAT IS ALL I NEEDED TO HEAR."**

Taking one heavy step forward, Issei had finally made his decision.

 **[—?!]**

"W-WAIT! Please—! Don't kill me! I-I don't want to die! I-I'm sorry! I know I promised to leave, but I was stupid! I'll leave this time! Really!"

While Raynare was begging for her life, already aware that no amount of resistance could save her, her allies were about to prepare for battle. Though, they would have virtually no chance against him.

"P-Please! I-If you kill us, then..! Our superiors will become angry! They'll want to hunt you down! P-Please, just spare us!"

Despite her warnings, Issei did not hesitate in his step. Her allies each spawned their spears of light in their trembling hands.

"S-STOP, PLEASE! I-IF YOU KILL US..!"

Just as Raynare was beginning to think she'd run out of options, she suddenly thought of something. In her moment of desperation, she blurted out the only thing she could think of, while her allies took to the air and prepared to attack.

"IF YOU KILL US, THEN WHAT WILL ASIA THINK—!"

—Issei halted abruptly. He was mere inches from Raynare's face.

Raynare said it with a trembling voice and body.

"..T-That's right… I-If you kill us, w-what will Asia think of you?... S-She's an innocent girl…. If you k-kill us, her allies, then what will she think of you?... Y-You think she won't be afraid of you?..."

Once Raynare said that, Issei went quiet… But the rest of his body did not.

His fists clenched so tightly, that it was possible to hear his palms ripping, and blood dripping from them. His muscles tensed so strongly, that it was possible to hear his skin stretching. His teeth grinded against each other so roughly, that the sounds they emitted were similar to the low creak of wood. Meanwhile, his aura spurted out from his body with the sound of a gushing waterfall.

—All in all, it was clear to tell, Issei was hesitating.

And he was hesitating, because the image of a frightened Asia would not escape his mind. Terrified, just like a similar amount of the murder victims he's seen throughout his life— and his own victims from the past.

"... **GRR** …. **RRGH**..."

Issei growled like a beast, using every ounce of his strength to hold back from snapping Raynare's head right off of her body. Sensing that it was an opportunity, Raynare pleaded with Issei once more.

"...P-Please spare us…. I'll give up on my plans and return home, I swear…. J-Just, please, let me live…."

Issei snarled in deep frustration, wishing that he could tear Raynare limb from limb. But he knew that he couldn't. And that idea only enraged him all the more.

"... **GRR**..!"

With one final growl of frustration, Issei caught Raynare by an iron grip around her throat and lifted her up to his level. His glowing red eyes bore into her very soul.

" **FROM THIS DAY FORTH, YOU WILL NEVER COME NEAR ASIA AND I AGAIN. ASIA IS MY FRIEND. SHE DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU. THAT'S WHY, YOU WILL GET OUT OF MY HOME, AND YOU WILL NEVER COME BACK AGAIN. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME**?"

Raynare, not being able to nod her head or speak, simply uttered out any response she could.

"...Y...es…"

And with that, Issei dropped Raynare onto the floor, where she was left gasping for air.

"HAA—! _**Cough**_ , _**cough**_..!"

" _The same goes for all of you_. _Get out of my sight_."

With Issei's last words to them, the Fallen-Angel group quickly took off, with Raynare unsteadily following behind. Watching them flee into the night, Issei walked back into the house. When he made it into the living room again, he caught Asia healing the head of the unconscious Freed.

"Ah… I'm sorry."

Being caught red-handed, Asia apologized. But Issei just shook his head.

"It's fine. Too late now. More importantly, Asia. There's something I need to ask you."

"Where are Raynare-san and the others?"

"They left. They won't be coming back to this place ever again."

"Eh?! Why?!"

Asia was in shock at Issei's declaration, but he only placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Asia. Tell me something. If you had the chance to live a normal life, would you take it?"

Asia was confused by his question, as if not expecting it.

"Eh? A-A normal life?"

"Yes, a normal life. If you had a chance like that, would you take it?"

Asia was hesitant to answer, not because she didn't want to, but rather because she didn't know what to answer with.

"...A normal life…. But that is…. I was always seen as a saint who served one purpose…. So the idea of a normal life was….. I…"

Issei gave a small sigh. He wasn't annoyed, but rather saddened by the fact that it was difficult for her to answer. So, he rephrased it.

"Alright, Asia. Let me put it this way. If you could live a normal life, what would you want to do?"

"W-What would I want to do?"

"Yeah. Aren't there things that you've ever wanted to do? You know, like activities you didn't have the chance to do?"

Asia took a second to think about it.

"...Um, I…. I wanted to make friends…"

Issei nodded his head.

"Okay. What else?"

"...Um…. I, I wanted to go to a beach…."

"Keep going."

"..A-And, I wanted to eat at places with friends…. They never let me go to restaurants, so I wanted to eat at those places…. Um, and in Japan, they have those things called k...karaoke? I wanted to try that…"

Issei nodded his head, as if finally confirming something to himself.

"Yeah. Alright, I've got it."

With that, Issei smiled and looked Asia directly in the eyes.

"Asia. That normal life that you seek, I will give it to you."

"Eh?"

Issei opened his palm and extended his hand to Asia.

"Asia, come with me. From now on, you can live with me. From now on, you can have a normal life. I will take care of you."

"Eh, take care of…. Ise-san will?"

Asia made a confused face, but Issei nodded reassuringly.

"Yeah. I will take care of you. I will make sure that you get to do all of those things that you want to do. I will let you experience all the things you missed out. You'll be able to make new friends, go places you want to go to, see things you've never seen— you'll be able to live a 'normal life'. Just like everyone else. Just like you've always wanted to. Just like you've always deserved."

Asia was speechless. Her eyes were starting to water at the thought of the almost dream like scenario, but she still stuttered out her hesitation.

"..B-But Raynare-san and the others… I was supposed to—"

But Issei interrupted her with the shake of his head.

"—No. Asia, from now on, you'll live your life for yourself. No more "purpose" bullshit. No one decides what you do with your life but you. You live your life how you want, not how others tell you to. Got it?"

"...B-But, something like that... I-I… Is… Is it really okay?... Can I really have a normal life?"

"Yes. I promise you. I will give you the best life that I possibly can."

"...For someone like me… It's okay for someone like me to have a good life?"

"Yes. It absolutely is. And anyone who says otherwise is my enemy. I won't let them get in the way of Asia's happiness. —That life full of friends and happy memories, I will give you that life. It's your right to have it. And I will do whatever I can to make it happen. Come with me, and I will make it happen….. What do you say?"

Asia's tears flowed out like waterfalls. But her face was beaming like the sun.

"...T-That…"

And she gratefully took Issei's hand.

"...Yes! I would…! T-That would make me very happy!..."

—While Asia wept tears of joy, Issei was caught in a memory from the past.

He remembers once, when he was sleeping in bed, in the middle of night, Marie quietly entered his room. She came to sit on his bed, and placed her hand on his head. Caressing his hair, she prayed quietly. He remembers her prayer very clearly.

 _("...For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you made me welcome….. And for that, I will always be grateful to you…. So please, let him find happiness...")_

…..

Issei softly grasped Asia's hand back, wearing the most genuine smile he had given in years.

"I see…"

* * *

 **Part 3**

 _ **Clack**_ — _**Dakun**_..

The sound of a door being unlocked and opened. It was the door to the empty Hyoudou Household. And from outside, Issei and Asia entered.

"E-Excuse my intrusion."

Asia stepped in lightly.

"In Japan, it's custom to remove your shoes at the door."

"R-Right…"

After removing their shoes at the entrance, Issei led Asia through the main hall of the house and into the living room.

"So, this is my home. Or at least, it's the one I lived in my early years. I grew up in another house a bit always from here. It's in a place called Nagoya."

"Oooh.."

Asia took in the surroundings with an almost childlike sense of wonder and intrigue. It was like she had never been in a normal house before.

"Never been in a house like this before?"

"Eh? Ah, no, it's…. Well, not having any friends…. I've never been to a friend's home before..."

Issei smiled sadly.

"Well, more than a friend's home, you also live here now. So, it's kinda just your house too. Right?"

"No, but, that's…"

"It's okay. I'm sure my parents would've welcomed you too..."

Issei patted Asia's head, to which she just smiled shyly.

"Now, are you hungry? I'll make us something nice to eat."

Issei asked while making his way towards the kitchen. But Asia questioned him on something that piqued her curiosity. She asked with a tilted head.

"Hmm, where are Ise-san's parents?"

—Issei halted midstep.

…..A long silence was left hanging in the air. Issei remained still and silent. Asia began to feel uncomfortable, assuming that she had asked about something taboo. But, just as she began to feel worried, Issei lifted his arm to point somewhere.

"...There…..."

He pointed his finger in a certain direction. Asia followed his direction and peered down a dark hallway. That short hallway led to an extra room in the back, one that seemed like it would be a playroom. Being covered in darkness, Asia assumed that she couldn't see anything unless she walked in. So, with a bit of hesitation, she walked down the hallway.

The closer she stepped, the easier she could make out a certain shape. Something tall, and made out of wood. It looked like a shrine of some sort, and it held burnt out candles and incense. But the most noticeable detail..

—Two pictures of unfamiliar people. People who resembled Issei, and even held the same name above their heads: [Hyoudou.]

(—!)

Asia covered her mouth in realization, and Issei's large figure appeared from behind her.

"..I-I'm sorry… I didn't know…"

"It's okay.."

Issei stepped in front of Asia and knelt down before the shrine. He spoke to it casually, as if someone were listening.

"..Hey, mum, dad…. This is Asia. She's going to be living with us from now on… You don't mind, right?..."

Issei could easily imagine their responses.

 _《_ _Eh?! A girl?! And she's a foreigner?! No way! Ise could never have such a beautiful girl as his girlfriend?! Honey, we're going to have grandchildren soon!_ _》_

 _《_ _That's my boy! Now, just like I taught you, you must continue to obtain woman's hearts! Become the harem king your father always wanted to b— ouch!_ _》_

 _《_ _Don't influence him with such stupid ideas! That old man at the park was bad enough! Asia is living with us now, so you keep your filthy perversions to yourself!_ _》_

"...Hehe…"

For some reason, Issei chuckled to himself.

"...How pathetic…"

"...Ise-san?"

Asia knelt down beside Issei with a worried face. But Issei just smiled.

"It's alright. They said it was fine…. Or, they would've, at least…."

"...May I pray for them?"

Issei smiled sweetly at her suggestion.

"...Yes, please.."

Asia put her hands together and lowered her head in prayer. Issei merely sat beside her silently, thinking about the memory of his parents.

—But, in watching Asia pray quietly, he was also reminded by her resemblance to another person he cared deeply for….

' _...I hope you won't be jealous.'_

 _《_ _What?! Écaille, you're letting another girl besides me live in your house?! Unacceptable! This woman is my rival now! I challenge her!_ _》_

….

Unbeknownst to the praying Asia, a lone tear fell from Issei's smiling face.

* * *

It was the next day. It was a normal school day, however, Issei decided to take the day off. That's because, today, Issei has taken Asia out for a day in the town.

"Alright, Asia. What do you want to do first?"

Issei asked Asia as they were standing in the middle of an outdoor plaza. Asia's eyes darted around the plaza, unsure of what activity to pick from. That was, until the growl of her stomach was heard.

 _ **Gyeroo~**_

"Ah."

Asia's face went red, but Issei just laughed.

"Ahahaha, well, it is just about time for lunch, isn't it?"

"..Uu, sorry…"

"Don't apologize. It's part of an outing, right? C'mon, I know a place."

The scene cuts to the inside of a fast food restaurant. But, here, another dilemma was faced.

"…Auu."

It was an unusual sight. A Sister was getting confused in front of the restaurant's cash register.

"W-What would you like to order…?"

Even the employee doesn't know how to handle this situation.

Asia has never been to this kind of place before, so she is having a hard time choosing her meal.

Issei offered his assistance, but she said proudly, "It's fine, I will manage it somehow", so now they've been waiting for her to say something.

….But, thinking carefully, she can't speak Japanese.

Realizing that it was hopeless with a sigh, Issei helped her.

"Sorry. She will have the same order as me."

"Okay."

The employee takes their order. Asia, on the other hand, has a guilty expression.

"..Auu, I'm ashamed. I can't even buy a single hamburger by myself…"

"No, well, you need to get used to Japanese first."

Upon receiving their meals, they head towards one of the free tables in the restaurant. While moving inside the restaurant, most of the male customers were staring at Asia. Even though she's a nun, it's more likely because she is cute. Logically, any guy would stare at her when they saw her.

The two sat opposite each other, but Asia was taking a really good look at the hamburger and wasn't eating it. Rather, Issei questioned if she even know how to eat it.

"Princess, you can eat this by taking the wrap off like this."

Issei showed Asia how to eat it while smiling.

"T-There's actually a way to eat like that?! A-Amazing!"

Another reaction Issei found adorable.

"You also eat the fries like this."

"Oh my!"

Asia was watching at Issei eat his food with very keen eyes.

"No, no, you also eat, Asia."

"Y-Yes."

She takes a small bite of the burger and starts eating it.

"...D-Delicious! This burger is very delicious!"

She says it with stars in her eyes. It made Issei curious about her regular diet.

"You never ate a burger before either, huh?"

"No... I have seen it often on television, but it's my first time eating it. I'm moved! It's delicious!"

"I see... So what do you normally eat?"

"Mainly bread and soup. I also eat vegetable and pasta food."

Very simple foods. It was the same with Marie. Perhaps it was more common in European countries like France and Italy, especially for churches.

"Is that right? In that case, eat it carefully so you remember the taste. "

"Yes. I will eat it with joy."

Asia starts eating the burger happily, clearly savoring the new taste of it. Issei continued eating his food, all the while keeping his eyes on Asia.

"Asia."

"Y-Yes?"

"Let's go and have some fun now."

"Eh?"

—From that point onward, Issei brought Asia to many to many different places in the plaza. Starting with the game centre.

"Here, Asia. Try this one."

"Eh? O-Okay.."

Issei suggested a driving arcade game to Asia. But unfortunately, she lost very shortly while playing.

"Ah, you crashed."

"Auu…"

"Oh well. Everybody dies some time."

"Eh?"

"Haha, just kidding. C'mon, let's move onto something else."

Issei led Asia around the game centre, searching for a new game that she could possibly get accustomed to in a short time. But while they were walking, something caught Asia's eye and she went to it. She was standing in front of a crane game.

"What is it?"

"Hua! N-No… I-It's nothing."

Asia was startled by Issei, clearly showing that she was interested in whatever was inside the machine. But she tried to hide it.

"Is there something you want?"

When Issei looked inside the machine, he noticed that there was a doll of "Rache-kun" inside. It's a cute mascot based on a mouse. It was a character that came from Japan, but it was also popular worldwide, explaining why Asia also knew it.

"Asia, do you like Rache-kun?"

"Eh? N-No, t-that is…"

Asia's face became red, and she nodded her head shyly.

"Okay. I will get it for you."

"Eh? B-But…!"

"It's okay, I will get it."

Issei placed a token in the machine and aimed to claim his prize confidently. Little did most people know, Issei was a master at all types of arcade games. He, Narutobi, and Tsubomi would always be playing at game centres during their days off. And during those times, he just practically never lost a game, mainly due to his inhuman reflexes and skills.

"Alright, I've got it."

Issei easily managed to capture the plush toy on his first try. He retrieved it from the compartment once it dropped in.

"Here you go, Asia."

Upon receiving it, Asia became so happy that she held the doll to her chest.

"Thank you very much, Ise-san. I will take care of this doll."

"Oi, oi, if a doll like that makes you happy, then I'll get you more next time."

That's what Issei promised to her, but she just shook her head.

"..No, this Rache-kun that you gave me represents the wonderful day I had with you…. Since this is the start of my new life, I will take good care of this doll..."

Asia hugged the doll tightly. Again, Issei was caught with a rare smile on his face.

"Okay. But we haven't started yet. Asia, we'll be playing for the whole day today. Follow me."

"Y-Yes!"

—With that, Issei took Asia's hand, and they went to various places around the plaza.

From playing games in the arcade, to bowling, to even shopping for new clothes for her. Asia felt ashamed to be needing clothes, and even refrained from asking for them, but Issei forced her to try some on and bought them nonetheless.

He was almost tempted to buy her a swimsuit, possibly to take her to the beach one day, but he held back. For now, it was more important that she got some regular clothes. And helping her pick out a swimsuit at this stage could make her uncomfortable. Well, that is to say, if all of the other clothing didn't do that already. Because, regardless of it being normal clothing, Asia was still embarrassed to be seen in it. Especially skirts. She'd never worn skirts before.

Issei would never forget how difficult it was to keep a straight face when she said it was "breezy". It was one-to-one the exact same description that Marie gave the first time she wore a skirt. And that time was even funnier, considering that Marie's regular battle attire was absurd anyway.

All the minor details aside, the two spent the entire day together. Playing, talking, walking. It was an outing that many others would describe as a "date".

Though, at the thought of that, Issei could only smile sadly.

 _("Écaille~! Let's go on a date!")_

 _("Go die instead.")_

 _("oh Dio, crepacuore!— How can you say something so cruel! I can only cry. Boohoo!")_

 _("I'm still not taking you.")_

 _("...In that case, I'll just tell auntie that you're bullying me.")_

 _("Wha..?! Why, you little..! …..Grr, fine!... Get your fuckin' coat….")_

 _("Yaaay!")_

"...Hehe…"

Asia raised a curious brow when Issei let out a random chuckle.

"What's wrong, Ise-san?"

"Huh? Ah, no, it's nothing…. Here, let's take a little break, Asia."

Issei and Asia took a seat on a nearby bench, resting after their whole day of play.

"So, did you enjoy your first day of your 'new life'?"

"Yes! I had a lot of fun! Thank you, Ise-san!"

"It's no problem. We'll be doing it pretty often, so you should learn to get used to it. Ah, that reminds me, I'll head up to the school and try to see if I can get the paperwork to get you enrolled. Would you like that, Asia? Going to school?"

"S-School? I've never been to a school… All of my lessons were privately taught…"

"Would you like to go there? You would be able to make a lot more friends."

"...Mm, in that case, yes! I want to go!"

"Alright then. It's settled. I'll see what I can do at the academy."

' _..That Devil, Sona Sitri was her name. She's the current student council president. She can probably pull some strings from the inside…. I'd hate to ask for a favor from their kind, but if it's for Asia…. Well, a threat could work too.'_

Issei thought to himself about that subject. But while the two were sitting in silence, Issei happened to notice a more somber expression on Asia's face.

"...Hmm, what's wrong, Asia?"

Asia didn't answer, but instead, tears fell out of her eyes.

"...! What is it, Asia? Is there something wrong?"

Issei asked with genuine concern, causing Asia to shed even more tears.

"...I am…. I am very happy being with Ise-san like this….. I always wanted to have a friend…. But..."

"But what? What's wrong? Is there something you're unhappy about?"

Asia just shook her head and tried wiping her tears away.

"...N-No…. But…. All of my life, it was always my dream to have a life like this…. And now that I have it…. Maybe I didn't deserve it…"

(—!)

"No, you're wrong, Asia! You deserve a happy life just like everyone else. Anyone who tells you otherwise is just wrong, and I will blast them away. Who convinced you of such a thing? Was it those scumbags from the church? Or was it those wretched, dirty Angels? Say the name and I'll blow them away."

But Asia just remained silent.

"...Asia. I want you tell me something. Tell me, what was your previous life like?"

"..."

Asia hesitated to speak. But, at some point, she decided.

—She told Issei a story about the girl who was once called the [Holy Maiden].

In a certain region in Europe, there was a girl who was discarded by her parents. She was raised in a Church nearby by a nun, along with other orphans.

The girl, who was a strong follower of the Church, received a special power at the age of 8. She healed a wounded puppy, and a person from the Catholic Church witnessed it by chance.

From there on, her life changed.

The girl was taken to the main Catholic Church and she was symbolized by many as a "Holy Maiden" because of her healing power. She used her power to heal many believers and they were told it was a power of divine protection.

Rumors brought rumors, and she was respected as a "Holy Maiden". Even without her approval.

She had no dissatisfaction for how she was treated. People from the Church were kind, and she didn't hate healing people. She, instead, was happy that her power was of use. The girl was thankful to her power which was bestowed to her by God.

But she was a bit lonely.

She didn't have any friends she could open up to. Everyone treated her nicely and was nice to her. But there were no one willing to become her friend.

She understood why.

She knew that they were looking at her power as something irregular. They didn't look at her as a human but as a creature that could heal humans.

But one day, that changed.

By coincidence, there was a Devil nearby. A wounded Devil. The girl couldn't ignore it. She thought that, even if it was a Devil, she had to heal it if it was injured.

It was her kindness that made her take such an action.

But that changed her life forever.

One of the people from the Church saw that incident and notified others of the Church.

The ministers of the Church were shocked about it.

 _("A power that can heal Devils!?")_

 _("Something absurd like that cannot happen!")_

 _("The power of healing can only heal the followers of God!")_

Yes, there were several people who had the power to heal.

But the power to heal the Devil was out of the question. The people of the Church thought it was common sense that the power of healing didn't work on Fallen Angels and Devils.

Apparently, a similar incident had happened in the past. The power to heal Fallen Angels and Devils that were not protected by God. But that was feared as the power of a "Witch".

So the people saw her as a heretic.

 _("Damned witch that heals Devils!")_

The girl who was respected as a Holy Maiden, was then feared as a "Witch", and the Catholic Church— abandoned her.

She didn't have anywhere to go and the organization of 'Stray Exorcists' picked her up.

In other words, she had to get "divine protection" from the Fallen-Angels.

But the girl never forgot to pray to God. She also never forgot to thank God.

Even so, the girl was abandoned.

God didn't save her.

What shocked her the most was that there was not even a single person in the Church that was willing to defend her.

—There was no one who cared about her.

"…It's because I didn't pray enough. It's because I'm clumsy. I'm so stupid that I can't even eat a burger by myself."

That girl, Asia, wipes her tears away while laughing.

"This is also a trial that the lord gave me. Since I'm a clumsy nun, the lord gave me this trial. So I have to endure it."

She was laughing as if she was talking to herself. And just like that, the world had gone silent again.

…..

…..

…..

"...Don't fuck with me."

Issei's body shook in place, to an almost unreasonable degree. His fists, resting against his knees, tightly clenched, to the point in which blood seeped out from them. He held his head down, with hair covering his face, and his upper body hunched over. And his voice was released in a low, enraged tone.

"...Trials? Don't fuck with me."

—But there were tears falling onto the ground below him.

"...There are no trials…. This life that was "bestowed" by God…. It is filled with nothing but cruelty….. It's all filled with suffering….. There are no "lessons" to learn, or obstacles to overcome… It's all just a sick game played for his amusement… To say that what you went through….. What I went through…. What she…... What we went through… To say that it's a trial, that's just an excuse….. It's all bullshit… My parents' deaths….were not an "obstacle"…. She….. She was my…. She was not a "trial"..."

—The only thing that Issei could see, was that woman's true and beautiful smile, shining as bright as the early morning sun.

"...Kuh…"

Issei's teeth grit tightly, and a small puddle of water formed at the ground beneath his feet. Aside from the sound of his quiet weeping, the world was still without noise.

"...I think Ise-san is right… But, I also think that you are wrong…."

Until finally, Asia responded.

"...I understand if Ise-san does not have faith, but…. I believe that this world has many ugly things, as well as many good…. I believe that, even though there is a lot of cruelty in it, there is also much beauty…... I believe that, as people, we are made to suffer through many hardships….. But, whether it is a trial from God or not, it is something we all face….. And part of living, is to make it through those things… With friends, with family, or even sometimes, alone….. Maybe even after you've lost them….. But, at the very least…."

Asia softly placed her hand over Issei's own.

"...I do not believe that we are alone forever…."

—And Issei could only hear that woman's voice.

 _("I will always be with you, partner.")_

"...Kuh!"

And for the first time in so long, Issei let out all of the emotions he had held up inside.

"...Uwaaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaahaahaa!"

While being held onto by a silently weeping Asia, Issei freely sobbed his pent up sorrows away.

* * *

 **Part 4**

It was nighttime now. Issei and Asia were now back at the Hyoudou Residence after a whole day out.

"Alright, Asia. I'm off to the school. Knowing those Devils, they're probably still there around at this time. It's already night, so I'll be able to get there using my wings without being seen. I'll be back real soon. Just stay put, alright?"

Asia nodded her head while the black cat in her arms meowed.

"Yes, Ise-san."

 _ **Meow~**_

"Okay then. I'll be back in less than five minutes. We'll have dinner after that."

"Have a safe trip."

With a strong gust of wind, Issei extended his wings from his back and took off into the sky, headed straight for Kuoh Academy.

 ** _FOOM!_**

* * *

In the clubroom of the Devils' "ORC" group, Rias Gremory and her servants were gathered. Their leader was finishing up her paperwork, while the rest of the members were just passing by the time. That was, until there was an unexpected knock on the door.

 _ **Knock, Knock**_ …

Lifting her gaze from her paperwork, Rias raised a curious brow.

"Ara, who could it be at this time? —Come in."

With Rias's approval, a surprising figure entered the clubroom.

 _ **Dakun**_ …

It was none other than the current Sekiryuutei.

 **[—?!]**

The group was immediately on guard when they saw him. Though they didn't display it in an outward manner, it was quite obvious from the sweat on their heads.

"...Ise.."

"...Yo, shitty Devils."

Despite feeling nervous with his appearance— and even a bit disturbed, with the abandoned building incident still fresh in their minds— Rias stood from her seat and spoke calmly.

"...Welcome, Ise. It has been a few days since we've last spoken. From what I heard around the school, it seems that today was your first absent day. Perhaps you were feeling unwell?"

Rias tried to make formal conversation, but Issei didn't respond. He merely observed the other Devils around him. They were clearly on guard, all of them having stiff postures despite their seemingly calm exteriors. It was most obvious for the boy, Kiba Yuuto, who was resting his arm on his hip in a casual manner. To Issei, it was easy to understand that it was because he was a swordsman that he kept that pose.

Putting all of that aside, Issei had more important things to attend to. He looked at Rias directly, to which she began to feel uneasy for.

"...Is there something we can do for you?"

When Rias asked that, Issei clicked his tongue in some sort of annoyance.

"Tch..!"

He averted his gaze, leaving Rias confused on what Issei was trying to communicate. He was clearly irritated with something. Maybe himself?

"...I have…a favor to ask."

To that, Rias let out a surprised noise.

"...Huh? A favor?... You mean, you're asking something of us?"

"Che!"

Issei clicked his tongue again, in an even more angry way this time.

"...I'm not repeating it again, so listen close. There is something I need done, are you willing to do it or not?"

"...Something you need done, huh?... Well, that all depends on what it is…"

Issei held back his irritation and clarified.

"...That girl from the other day, Asia, do you remember her?"

Rias thought for a moment before quickly recalling it.

"...Oh, the Sister?"

"—Her name is Asia."

Rias was taken aback by Issei's nonchalant interruption, but continued nevertheless.

"...Right... But, yes, I do recall. Why do you ask?"

"...That girl wants to go to school. Can you set that up on my behalf?"

"What?"

Issei growled in frustration.

"—I SAID: she wants to attend this school. You lot are acquainted with the other Devil, Sona Sitri, right? She's someone who can enroll people into this academy easily, isn't she? In that case, tell her that I want to have Asia enrolled here. She wants to attend this school, so I'm asking for this….favor. Can you do that?"

Rias was surprised, to say the least. She never expected such a development. Especially not in such a short time. Whether or not it was a good sign, she was unsure. But for now, it made one thing clear: Even this brutal Sekiryuutei had things he valued. So that means he's willing to act in a diplomatic manner, if need be, for the sake of whatever he cares for.

Rias released a small sigh of relief from her mouth, now realizing that nothing drastic would happen. She straightened up her posture with a slightly more relaxed attitude.

"So, you want to enroll that girl into this school? That doesn't seem all that difficult, but, what of the Fallen-Angels she happens to work for? Just so you know, I cannot be doing anything that would help them accomplish some sneaky goal. I am the protector of this town, and their natural enemy, after all."

Issei almost popped a vein in his forehead from anger, but he held back while reminding himself that it was for Asia.

"...You don't have to worry about them anymore. They won't be a problem."

Rias narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but considering what she witnessed him do the other night, she decided she didn't need to know.

"Is that so….. I suppose I can take your word on that?"

"...You have it."

"..."

Seeing that there was no deception in Issei's stern gaze, Rias conceded. She sat back down in her chair with a regal posture.

"...Very well. I'll talk to Sona about it. Consider it done."

To that, Issei only responded with:

"...I see…"

After that, he said nothing, and simply turned around to leave. Just as he was walking out, however, Rias called out to him again.

"Ise."

He stopped, but did not turn. Rias said it with a very subtle smirk on her face.

"...You'd usually ask for a favor from a friend, you know?"

Issei said nothing.

"...Tch.."

With that, he walked out of the clubroom, and flew off back into the night.

* * *

 _ **Dakun**_..

"Asia, I'm back."

Issei announced his return upon entering his home. While removing his shoes at the door, he noticed the first one to greet him. A black cat.

 _ **Meow, meow~**_

—And not Asia.

"Asia."

Issei called to Asia once more, only to receive no response again. Only another meow from the kitten.

 _ **Meow~**_

 _ **CRACK!**_

Issei's body bolted into the living room, leaving a cracked place behind him. The moment he arrived, he scanned the room for any signs of entry.

—And he found it in the form of a broken back window.

 _ **Meeeow~**_

His gaze moved down towards the black cat who was meowing at him. Right next to where the black cat sat down—

.

.

.

.

.

—There were a couple droplets of blood on the floor.

 **[WELSH DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER!]**

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!**_

* * *

 _In the clubroom of the Occult Research Club:_

"Alright, everyone. It's fine for you to go home no—"

— _ **CHILLS!**_

 **[!?—?!]**

Suddenly, their bodies were overcome by a terrifying sensation. And in the distance, a loud explosion was heard.

( _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_ )

"What?!"

Looking out from the window of the old school building, it was easy to tell where that explosion originated from.

"..The old church!"

"Let's go! Now!"

[Yes, Buchou!]

* * *

 _Inside of the abandoned church:_

"T-This is a mistake! W-We're going to die! We're all going to die!"

From underneath the church's altar, there was a secret passageway that led into a large room. In this room, many rogues priests surrounded another altar, reciting the prayers to a ritual. At the top of the altar, the rogue group of Fallen-Angels were preparing for the ritual, with an unconscious Asia tied to a mechanical cross of some kind.

Out of all of them, Raynare was the one shaking in total fear.

"Raynare! Snap out of it and help us do the ritual! You're our leader, aren't you?! What happened to that Raynare I admired so much?! C'mon! If we can do this quickly, then we can get out of here before he notices! This is our only chance, we're doing it now!"

Mitlet berated her ally for quivering like a child, but it made no difference to Raynare. Because in the next moment, she felt the fear of the death she so desperately avoided, rise.

 _ **OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMM!**_

 **[!?—?!]**

—She felt it. She felt it in her bones. She felt it to the very core of her being.

From far out in the distance, something was approaching. A beast. A monster. A monolith of pure destruction.

And it was coming straight for them with unimaginable speed.

"HE'S COMING! NO, HE'S COMING!"

Raynare began panicking in fear while her allies continued attempting the ritual and failing. It was only a matter of seconds— No, possibly even milliseconds, and before they knew it—

 **[BOOST!]**

—A Dragon descended upon on their church.

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!**_

An explosion of dust that reached high into the sky. So high, that it could be assumed an entire quarter of the mountain was destroyed. And the whole town shook from an earthquake that reminded the inhabitants of their false pasts.

Before the dust even began to clear, the Fallen-Angels were able to realize that, the entire church was previously above them— was turned into a complete wasteland. And most of their human priest allies were unconscious from the blast.

With only one slam into the church's exterior, the surroundings were blown away, leaving only the basement that they were residing in, and no trace of the church itself.

But there, through the dust left over, a silhouette could be seen. A figure of darkness that peered through the smoke, with glowing red eyes.

 _ **OOOHHHMMMM!**_

Then, from the monster's body, a wave of energy was released.

 _ **BOOOOOM!**_

The pulse was so strong and potent, that the moment it was released, all of the dust that was clouding the area disappeared in an instant. And just like that, the monster was revealed. A red & black mass of energy.

— _ **An impregnable force of annihilation.**_

 _ **"FALLEN-ANGELS."**_

The distorted voice echoed with a boom that rattled their bones.

—And in a mere moment's passing, they were all already face-to-face with it.

 _ **DOOOOOOOOOONN!**_

First, Mitlet, whose head was slammed straight into the ground. The floor around her body was was broken, for up to 20 meters around. And she was unconscious without even a single breath uttered.

 _ **DOOONN!**_

"GUHA!"

Then, Kalawarner, who was launched into a wall with only the shockwave of a punch sending her flying, and no actual physical contact from the being.

 _ **DOOOOOONNN!**_

Next, Donasheek, who suffered a direct hit into his abdomen. The attack was so precisely concentrated despite its power, that he wasn't even sent flying. Had the strike been even a few hundred newtons stronger, every single one of his internal organs would have ruptured and blown out of his backside. But, he was fortunate enough to only have two of them destroyed.

 ** _DOOOONNNN!_**

And finally, the ancient device which removes Sacred Gears. Without even having half of the ritual completed, it was broken into a thousand pieces. An ancient device that was preserved for centuries, it was destroyed in an instant.

 _ **Grab!**_

The body of the unconscious Asia fell, and was easily caught by the beast. It held her delicately in its arms, and carefully lowered her onto the ground. Meanwhile, the quivering Raynare, who had fallen onto her back during the explosion, could not contain the quaking of her legs.

Slowly, the beast rose up again.

 ** _OOHHMMM_** ….

With movement that was so gradual, that in Raynare's mind, it looked as if the beast was growing in size just as it rose up. In fact, in her eyes, the beast was increasing in size, without end. To the point at which its gigantic form dwarfed her, reaching into the red colored night's sky, and took an identifiable appearance.

— _ **The dark outline of a massive Dragon, with eyes glowing a red as deep as blood.**_

"IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Overtaken by an unimaginable fear, Raynare expanded her wings and attempted to flee. But—

 _ **DOOOOONNN!**_

Like a bird that was snatched from the sky by a feline, she was caught by the giant claws of the Dragon, and slammed down into the ground.

And just above, the monstrous form of the legendary Welsh Dragon, gazed down upon her puny existence.

"N-NO! I'M SORRY! PLEASE, FORGIVE ME! IT WASN'T MY FAULT! IT WAS THAT SCOUNDREL, FREED! HE ACTED ON HIS OWN AND KIDNAPPED HER! I DIDN'T ASK HIM TO! I WAS READY TO LEAVE! IT'S JUST HIS FAULT! HE MUST'VE ESCAPED DURING THE EXPLOSION! HE'S THE ONE YOU WANT! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! PLEASE, IF YOU WANT TO KILL ANYONE, YOU CAN KILL MY COMRADES! THEY WERE ACTING ON THEIR OWN IN ACCORDANCE WITH FREED! I WANTED NOTHING MORE TO DO WITH IT, I SWEAR! PLEASE!"

Despite all of her passionate pleading, the Dragon did not listen. Instead, it only lowered its head closer to Raynare's body. And when it was close enough, it opened its massive jaws to chomp down on her body.

"NO! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! PLEEEEEEAAASSEE! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'LL LEAVE THIS INSTANT! I'LL NEVER COME BACK AGAIN! I BEG YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!"

And just like that, the Dragon's open maw was ready to clamp tightly shut on her.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

 ** _Shiin!_**

When the Gremory group arrived on the scene by magic circle, they immediately realized, there was no longer a church. It was only a wasteland, along with what looked like the ruins of an underground room of some sort.

Sprawled all over the floor were the unconscious bodies, and even some remains, of many rogue priests. Those who were dead seemed to have split in half. As if something sharp cut right through them. But the cut was too precise to be from a normal blade. That's because it wasn't from a blade at all. They were as a result of a single, powerful pulse of energy that was previously released.

But the most important detail: all of the Fallen-Angels were unconscious, lying in different places from each other.

—And ahead of them, a Sekiryuutei with an overwhelming aura being released from his body, held his foot firm pressed over the back of the last of the Fallen-Angels.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Raynare flailed around violently, as if fighting off an invisible force. The truth was that she was so fear stricken, she was hallucinating that she was being eaten alive by a gigantic Dragon.

But, once again, her perception was not too absurdly detached from reality. After all— there was certainly a monster above her head, itching to devour her.

"...Is…. Sekiryuutei…"

Rias uttered out that name, not capable of identifying the being as anything else. When the beast took notice of them, they flinched under his red gaze.

 _ **"...RIAS GREMORY…"**_

Rias felt chills hearing her name being spoken with such a voice. It sounded distorted and inhuman.

Then, the Sekiryuutei lifted its leg, and brought it down on top of Raynare's head.

 _ **DOONNNN!**_

The stomp rendered the Fallen-Angel unconscious, without so much as a breath of resistance. After that, the Sekiryuutei trotted its way over to the unconscious Asia. It very carefully lifted up her body and held her in its arms.

And then walked over to bring her to the Devils.

"Wha—"

 _ **"...TAKE HER TO MY HOME.."**_

The Sekiryuutei handed the body of Asia to Rias in a delicate manner. The moment she was handed over, Asia, who had a bleeding mark from where she'd been hit on her head, rustled in her sleep. And soon, she opened her eyes slightly.

"...Uu… Ise-san?..."

Before Asia could have seen what the Devils had seen, the Sekiryuutei's mask was already gone, and a smiling Issei was revealed in its place.

"...It's okay, Asia. They're going to take you home now… I'll be there soon, so just wait for me, okay?"

Issei stroked Asia's head softly, and then turned away from her. He began to walk towards the unconscious Fallen-Angels, with his aura growing darker and darker by the second. Until…

"...Ise-san.."

Asia called out in a weak voice.

"...Please….don't kill them…"

"..."

Issei remained totally still, and silent. For a long time, he didn't respond. But after a while, his voice came out in a small way.

"..Oh, Marie…. Asia…. How could I ever refuse you two?... Of course I won't kill them…."

Due to being wounded, Asia could not maintain her consciousness and passed out again.

—That's when the Sekiryuutei's mask came back on.

 _ **"...I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE THEIR PRIDE FROM THEM."**_

With that, the Devils made off to return Asia, in order to spare themselves from watching anything possibly horrific.

That left only the Sekiryuutei - and its prey.

 _ **DON!**_

"GAH!"

Raynare awoke to the harsh stomping on her lower back. When she did, her wings expanded themselves without her consent.

"... **Hey, did you know, pigeon? If you press down on this part of the spine, you can make a flying bastard's wings come out. I'm not sure how many types it works on, but I'm sure that works with Devils. And if works with you bastards too, then that must mean it works on pretty much everybody, huh** …"

Raynare was sent into instant panic mode again.

"N-NO, WAIT! PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME!"

"... **Ah, silly little crow** …. **I'm not going to kill you** …. **Not anymore** … **. Unfortunately, I made a promise, so you have to live** …. **But luckily, I didn't mention what state you had to live in** …."

—At that moment, the Sekiryuutei opened its hands, and gently grabbed onto something. Raynare's wings.

"W-What are you doing?!"

And then, it began squeezing them.

"..N-NO! P-PLEASE!"

And twisting them.

"—AAH! NO! PLEASE, STOP! IT HURTS!"

And crushing them.

"AAAAAAAH! PLEASE! PLEASE, STOP! I'M SORRY! PLEASE, TAKE MY LEGS INSTEAD! NOT MY WINGS! PLEASE!"

And, without remorse, it brutally ripped them off from her back.

 _ **TEEEEAAAAAR!**_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Raynare shrieked the most painful howl she'd ever released in her entire existence. The pain was unbearable, and unmatched. And the worst part, was that it wasn't even over.

 _ **FOOOOOOOOOOOMM!**_

Without warning, Raynare's back was lit ablaze by the Sekiryuutei's fire, and the wounds from which her wings were plucked from, were scorched in flames.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

She screamed in unimaginable pain. Until, the Sekiryuutei silenced her with another stomp to the skull.

 _ **DOOOONNN!**_

And she was left unconscious again.

—The Sekiryuutei moved onto its next target. And without a pause, it repeated the same process of plucking wings off of backs with each of the Fallen-Angels. Starting with, Donasheek.

 _ **TEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAR!**_

"GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

But after removing his wings, the Sekiryuutei did not burn the man's back. Instead, it decided to give him some special treatment.

 _ **"...YOU'RE ONLY AFRAID OF WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE…"**_

—And so, it plunged its clawed thumbs into the man's skull, crushing his eyes into a mush.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

 _ **Thud!**_

The Sekiryuutei dropped the body of the man, who lost consciousness all on his own. It then moved onto the next victim, Mitlet.

 _ **TEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAR!**_

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

After ripping off her wings, the Sekiryuutei pulled up the small bodied Fallen-Angel and held her up in the air, up to its level. And with its free claw, it placed two of its sharp, metallic fingers into her mouth.

 _ **"...YOU TALK TOO MUCH…"**_

—And with its two fingers, it forcefully ripped out the girl's tongue.

 _ **RIIIIIIP!**_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

 _ **DOOOOONNN!**_

Quickly knocking her out afterward, the Sekiryuutei finally moved onto its final victim. Kalawarner.

 _ **SLAM!**_

"GAAAH!"

Kalawarner was brought back to consciousness in an instant, by the sensation of having one of her limbs stomped on. When she looked, the Sekiryuutei had crushed her right leg under its clawed foot.

 _ **"...AND YOU'RE TOO SERIOUS…. SHOW SOME MORE EMOTION…"**_

The Sekiryuutei crushed the leg even further, practically detaching it from the rest of her body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

And just as the Sekiryuutei instructed, Kalawarner's expression changed to one of fear, and there were painful tears falling from her eyes.

 _ **"...GOOD…"**_

With the kick of its leg, the Sekiryuutei flipped Kalawarner over onto her stomach and stomped on her back, revealing her wings.

 _ **"...IT'S NICER THAT WAY…."**_

And, of course, it tore those off as well.

 _ **TEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAR!**_

"IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

 _ **SLAM!**_

After tearing off her wings, the Sekiryuutei knelt down by slamming his knee onto Kalawarner's back, and nearing close to her face. Once they were at eye level with each other, the Sekiryuutei dematerialized its helmet, revealing the "man" behind the mask.

—With glowing red eyes that bore through her soul, Hyoudou Issei commanded her.

 _ **"..DISAPPEAR FROM THIS PLACE, AND NEVER COME BACK AGAIN… IF YOU COME BACK, ASIA MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE YOU AGAIN.."**_

With a profuse amount of tears escaping from her eyes, Kalawarner frantically nodded her head.

And so, the Sekiryuutei's work was done.

 _'...Ddraig. Let's go home.'_

 **[Jet!]**

And he shot off into the night.

* * *

 _At the Hyoudou Residence:_

Back at Issei's house, Asia, and the Gremory group, waited for his return. After only about 10 minutes of their arrival, they heard a crash in the backside of the home.

 _ **CRASH!**_

Issei had just landed.

"...Asia? Are you here?"

Entering a few seconds after landing, without his armor and in a completely normal state, Issei entered the house.

"Ise-san..!"

Asia ran up to hug Issei and he accepted her into his arms.

"Are you alright, Asia?"

"Yes. I was able to heal myself when I woke up, so I am fine."

"I see. I'm glad… I'm sorry that I let you get captured…. I shouldn't have been so naive, not again….. I promise you it won't happen again….."

"It's okay…. Ise-san saved me, just like he said he would. So, I'm okay…."

While Issei and Asia were hugging, Rias let out a sigh.

"...Good grief. It looks like I'll have to contact Sona and let her know that it was a "false alarm"... I'll also have to manipulate the minds of any authorities that go to check on that explosion as well. Speaking of which, what did you do with Fallen-Angels?"

Just as Rias asked that, Asia looked up to Issei with a worried face. He just smiled and patted her head.

"...I spared them. Just like Asia asked."

"Ise-san…. Thank you.."

Asia hugged Issei again. But Rias raised a brow at him, clearly not believing it. Issei simply gave her a dead look.

"..They're alive…. But I made sure that they wouldn't be coming back to this town again. Otherwise, they'll regret it."

Though Rias was suspicious about what that meant, she accepted that answer nonetheless and nodded her head.

"I see. Well, in that case, it looks our business here is finished. I suppose we'll get going then. Thank you for allowing us into your home, Ise."

"Shut up, Devil. If I had the choice, I never would've let you set your filthy foot on this place. I'll be sure to thoroughly clean it after you've left."

Hearing what has now become a common occurrence, Rias sighed in defeat and stood up from her place on one of Issei's sofas.

"Haah… Right. Well, until we meet again, I suppose. Come, everyone. Let's go home."

"Don't forget our deal, Devil. I want to be able to watch over her at every moment."

"Yes, I know. I'll be sure to consult with Sona about it."

And just as quickly as they arrived, the Gremory group transported out of the household via magic circle, leaving behind only Issei and Asia.

"What deal were you talking about, Ise-san?"

"Good news, Asia. You're going to be able to attend school with me from now on."

Hearing that news, Asia's face brightened up.

"Really!"

"Yup, you'll be able to make more friends from now on."

"Yaay, I'm so happy! Thank you, Ise-san!"

"No problem. I said I'd take care of you, didn't I?"

Asia hugged onto Issei for a long time before finally letting go. When she did, Issei sat down onto the sofa with her beside him.

"...Hey, Asia?"

"What is it, Ise-san?"

"...Would you mind sayin' a prayer for me?"

"A prayer? What kind?"

"Any is fine… Just as long as you say it out loud, please."

"Yes, of course."

At Issei's request, Asia began praying aloud. Issei merely listened to her prayer silently, and closed his eyes. His left hand rested on top of Asia's own, gently holding her in place.

Though he hated the church, and the God that they followed, for some reason, prayers were something that would always settle down Issei's nerves. Sometimes, they would even help him sleep at night. But, perhaps that was because of the person who used to say them, not the prayer itself.

—And in that same way, it was almost like he was hearing her voice again.

 _ **"...Lord. Please, let me stay by this person's side from now on..."**_

* * *

 _ **My Friend**_

* * *

"Asia! C'mon, are you ready to go?"

"C-Coming!"

Asia quickly ran down the steps of the stairway and made it into the living room.

"I-I'm ready, Ise-san!"

—She was fully dressed in a Kuoh Academy uniform.

"Hoooh…"

Issei let out a small sound of amazement as he tilted his head. Not being able to judge Issei's blank expression yet, Asia asked shyly.

"H-How is it?"

Issei gave her a kind smile.

"Yeah, you look beautiful."

Not expecting such a bold compliment, Asia's face went red, though Issei thought nothing of it.

"Alright then. Let's go. We wouldn't wanna be late, would we?"

"R-Right!"

And with that, the two exited the house, shutting the door of the empty house behind them.

 _ **Dakun**_..

The two walked to school together, whilst wearing genuine smiles of happiness.

* * *

 _ **'...Mum, Dad... Marie... I wasn't able to protect you... But... I was able to protect her... Do you think...that's worth something?'**_

—From that point on, the once dreary, lonesome home— became just a little bit brighter— and a little less lonelier.

* * *

 **Happy end**

* * *

 **AND, there you go! The end of the 'Raynare arc', basically. It wasn't a long one, but you certainly can't say that it felt too short either. I think it was just enough for this arc. Next chapter will be a little 'breather' arc, one that doesn't really focus on action but character development, again. I'd say that it's likely to be a bit shorter, I think. And it'll probably be focused on the weird dynamic Issei has with the Gremory group, and how Asia's kindness towards them affects that.**

 **So, whaddya think? Did that shit go down like you thought it would? I bet it didn't. I also bet you didn't expect that opening with Issei going wild on a stray Devil for old times sake. That was pretty hardcore, eh? If you ever have a question about it, remember that scene, cuz Issei is definitely a psycho fuck. Or more like, so mentally damaged that he's just deranged at times. But yeah, he tortured the fuck outta those Fallen-Angels. And they got off easy. Imagine what he'd do to Freed if he caught him. Yikes! Kokabiel arc, you better watch out! That one's gonna be a REAL doozy. It's kind of what I've been waiting for, ever since we got into canon. One of my favorite arcs, personally. And the fact that we have this Issei instead, ooooooo-wee! I cannot wait, honestly. It's gonna be a fuckin riot. And if you've all been wondering how strong Issei is at this point, then the Kokabiel arc is gonna be your fuckin answer. I mean Raiser arc too, but, more Kokabiel arc than anything.**

— **[And, for maybe the first time ever, Issei received something new to one of his many life stories: A happy ending...]**

 **So, tell me what you guys thought: Is Issei a fucking nutcase(lol)? What do you think the ORC thinks of Issei? What do you think of Issei's current dynamic with the ORC, and how will Asia possibly affect it in the future? What do you think about Issei's relationship with Asia? What do you think about what happened to the Fallen-Angels? Did you enjoy their comeuppance? And are you happy with what Issei did in this chapter? Do you think he made the right decisions?**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**


	15. Chapter 15: Occult Research Club

**Alright, next one coming at ya guys. As I said, this chapter is a bit more of a character focused one rather than action or dark shit. Most of it will mainly focus around the Devils, Asia, and Issei. And even a couple returning characters. *wink, wink*. You won't be disappointed. Also, this chapter may feel a bit more "lighthearted" when compared to others, but that's really just cuz of how fucked up the story is, lol. Plus, Asia is a ball of sunshine so there's that.**

* * *

 **SCENE**

….

Darkness. Darkness, again. That was all Issei could see.

….

—Up until the moment that he was suddenly bombarded with the traumatic montage that was his full existence.

 _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!**_

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAH!"

Issei upper body shot up, and his throat released a terrified howl.

"Haaah! Hah!..."

While heaving his chest, and being drenched in sweat, it took him a short moment to realize that he was in his room.

"...Haaah…"

And of course, he let out a heavy sigh. As per usual.

The only difference was the thumping he heard following shortly after his scream.

 _ **Dakun!**_

His door flew open, revealing another new resident of his household. It was his beloved friend, Asia Argento.

"Ise-san! What's wrong?! Are you okay?!"

Asia entered with a deeply concerned expression on her face. Issei only responded while wiping away the sweat on his head.

"Ah, it's nothing, Asia.. Just another dream, like usual. I'm okay."

Asia was relieved to hear it, but also a bit worried. She gained a more sympathetic expression.

"...Ise-san has a lot of nightmares… Is there something you're worried about lately?"

Issei leaned against his knees and looked down to the cross hanging around his neck with a sullen expression.

"...No. It's all in the past already…"

Though it had only been little over a week since Asia began living with Issei, she came to understand one thing. Issei is not always the most expressive person, but when he is, it's only about something that really matters to him. At times like these, his right eye usually closes, and he becomes silent— but his face will very clearly express his feelings for him. At these times, his expression becomes very descriptive towards his inner emotions. It almost seems like it's a habit of his. Perhaps an unconscious one.

Regardless, Asia came to realize that, with everything that may have possibly happened in his life, things that she does not know, there might be parts of Issei she may never come to understand.

That aside…

"...Hawaa!"

Asia covered her eyes in a sudden embarrassment, even though she was still peeking through her fingers.

"I-I-Ise-san! P-Please cover yourself!"

"Hm?"

Issei raised a brow at Asia's randomly bashful attitude. He then realized that he was shirtless, as he usually slept without a top.

"Ah, my bad."

* * *

 **Part 1**

Hyoudou Issei, 16 years old, soon to be 17 in a few months, during summer. Asia Argento, 16 years old. One week and two days since the 'Raynare incident'. One week and two days since Asia began living with Issei.

The two teenagers were blissfully making their way to school, casually making conversation along the way. Yes, even Issei himself had a slight smile on his face, shocking many of the few students that they happened to pass along the road.

"Ise-san, we're going to do softball today in Physical Ed! It's my first time, so I'm excited!"

"Is that so?"

Issei smiled slightly at Asia's enthusiasm over such trivial things. Though, he couldn't help but notice the few students around that stared at them in disbelief, as usual.

"...No way… Isn't that the new girl, Asia-chan, walking with the new guy, Hyoudou-kun?"

"But, isn't he, like, a delinquent or something? They say he's a really scary guy, right?"

"Nah, he just looks that way. He's actually a nice guy if you talk to him."

"Really? Then go talk to them."

"No way, you do it."

From what Issei heard, it seems like his reputation is indeed going through some sort of shift ever since he spoke with Aika Kiryuu. Honestly, what sort of rumors has that girl been spreading about him? What is she saying that has students suddenly thinking he's now "approachable"?

' _...Well, not that I would tell them to "fuck off" or anything…'_

Issei's eye then twitched a little bit when an imaginary voice that resembled Kiryuu's sounded off in his head with a smug tone.

 _《"_ _Kukuku, that exact thought you just had is what allows me to go tell people you're approachable, Ise-kun."_ _》_

"Tch! Shut up..!"

Issei just waved away the imaginary visage of the smug bespectacled girl with an annoyed face.

"Hm? Is something wrong, Ise-san?"

Asia asked with a cute tilt of her head, but Issei just shook it off.

"Huh? Ah, no, it's nothing. More importantly, Asia. How is school? Have you been enjoying it? Has everyone been nice to you so far?"

Issei asked with a certain curiosity in his tone. Though he didn't know it himself, he was most concerned with his last question to her. Asia however, answered with a happy smile.

"Yes, I love it! Everyone has been very nice to me! I have made lots of friends as well! They invited me to go shopping with them next time!"

Issei could only imagine the unfortunate life Asia has led on to this point, and he rubbed her head softly.

"I'm glad to hear it. Your life will be happy from now on. I promise you, Asia."

"Teehee! Thank you, Ise-san!"

In the middle of Issei and Asia's wholesome moment, they ended up encountering some guests that Issei would describe as "unsavory".

" "Good morning, Asia-chan!" "

"Ah, good morning, Matsuda-san, Motohama-san!"

Immediately upon greeting Asia, the academy's two most notorious perverts, Matsuda and Motohama, randomly brought Issei into a huddle and began whispering to him.

"Um, ey, Matsuda, Motohama. There somethin' yuh need from me?"

Issei asked them with disinterest, but the two perverts only questioned Issei with an overwhelming passion.

"Oy, oy, oy, Hyoudou, man! We've been hearing rumors that you and Asia-chan walk to and from school together daily! Is this true?!"

"Hm? Yeah, it is. Why?"

"Just like we thought! Does that mean it's true then?!"

"What's true?"

"The rumor that you're dating Asia-chan! Is it true?! Is she your girl?!"

"Oh."

Issei peered over his shoulder, back to Asia, who had a confused expression. For some reason, he scoffed, as if disappointed with himself for hesitating to answer.

"...Hmph. Nah, that ain't it. It's not like that. But you could still call her "my girl", I guess. After all, if anyone touches her, I'll kill 'em…."

Issei finished that last part with an exceedingly dark tone that easily freaked Matsuda and Motohama out. Having said that, Issei stood up from the huddle and considered the conversation done, for the most part.

"Anyway, Asia and I walk to and from school together every day, that much is true. Since we live together and all."

It was at that point, Matsuda and Motohama's interests were _truly_ sparked.

 **[—?!]**

"W-WAIT! Y-You..! D-Did….. Did you just say what I think you said?!"

"Hm? What? Asia and I live together?"

Once again, they were sent into shock.

" "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" "

The two perverts suddenly appeared in front of Asia's face and exclaimed.

"Asia-chan! Don't tell us..! Is..! Is this true?! That you two— l-l-l-live togetheeeeeeer?!"

They asked her with shaking bodies and pale faces, hoping that it wasn't the truth, but Asia just smiled happily.

"Yes, that's right. Ise-san and I are living together under the same roof."

 **[—?!]**

"T-Then, Asia-chan comes to wake him up in the morning?!"

While the perverted duo was imagining bizarre scenarios, Asia simply answered their questions with a smile.

"Well, Ise-san is a very earnest man, so he is usually awake at the right times. But, I do think he is a sleepy head, since he always sleeps whenever he wants to relax, ufufu."

Asia said it with a cute giggle, to which Matsuda only sat in a corner away from them in response. This left Motohama to question Asia on his own.

"..D-Do you serve him rice too?!"

"Well, Ise-san is usually the one cooking…"

"But Asia's rice is good. I think you are gonna be a good cook, as long as I teach you. In fact, Asia has many "spouse-like" qualities about her. I'm sure she'll make a great wife."

"I-Ise-san, it's embarrassing, teehehe!"

To Asia's adorably shy reaction, Motohama was sent to the corner with his friend in a dejected manner. Both of the perverts sat together with a depressed cloud over their heads.

"...Hey, remember when we tried to recruit this guy? It looks like we were the stupid ones…"

"...Yeah, this guy has far surpassed us…."

Issei was left scratching his head at the two boys odd shift in attitudes. He attempted to remedy their sadness, but before he could even say anything, they jumped up and stood against Issei with rage.

"Curse you, Hyoudou! You non-virgin bastard! This makes you our enemy! From now on, we're no longer comrades, so you better watch out!"

"Yeah, watch your back, delinquent bastard! From now on, we're enemies!"

Declaring that, the two perverts bolted off with a fiery passion, leaving just Asia and Issei behind.

"Non-virgin?"

Asia tilted her head at the conjoined word, wondering if it was some new age term, and also not recognizing the Japanese pronunciation of the word "virgin". Issei hesitated in explaining it to her, but decided it was better for her to know than not.

"[Non-virgin]. As in, someone who has already had sex, made love with someone, and lost their virginity or 'purity'."

Asia made a shocked expression and covered her mouth.

"W-What?! Ise-san has..!?"

"Huh? Ah, no. I'm still a virgin."

' _..Though I was close to losing it one time….'_

Asia seemed to settle down after Issei's denial.

"Eh? Oh… Is that so?..."

"Ahaha, you're adorable, Asia."

"I-Ise-san! D-Don't say such embarrassing things! Other students are close by!"

Finishing up that conversation, the two continued walking to school, earning more and more gazes along the way from curious students. Upon reaching the academy, Asia mentioned a more "unappealing" topic.

"By the way, Ise-san. Yesterday, I was approached by Miss Gremory-san, during class break."

The moment Issei heard that, his eyes switched down to Asia in an intimidating manner.

"—What did she say to you? Did she bother you?"

"N-No, no! She was very kind! It was no problem!"

Asia waved her hands frantically, hoping that Issei wouldn't think of doing anything drastic. After a few seconds, the darkness in his expression lessened, but didn't fully disappear. He asked while walking.

"...So, what did she say?"

"S-She invited me to visit their clubroom, I think…"

"She did what?"

Issei's face contorted in pure confusion. Asia's posture became a bit stiff with his expression.

"W-Well, she asked me if I would like to join their club… She said that I was free to visit them tomorrow and so on…"

"..Join her club?"

"Y-Yes…"

"...And, what did you say?"

"I-I didn't agree….because I know Ise-san wouldn't want me to, so…"

"That is…."

Though Issei wanted to say that it was the "right decision" to make, somehow, he couldn't help but feel a bit irked by limiting Asia's actions. If there's anything he doesn't want to do, it's restrict her. He wants her to live a happy and free life, not any life that could possibly resemble the church.

True, he may not want her to be closely associated with the Devils, but….

' _...if it's for Asia's sake, then….'_

"...Asia. What do you want to do?"

"What do you mean, Ise-san?"

"...Do you want to be around those Devils?"

"Eh?"

Asia looked a bit confused for moment, right before denying Issei's question vehemently.

"N-No, that's..! Well…. They…. They were kind to me before when they took me to Ise-san's home…. And, they were kind to me when we spoke yesterday, so I just….."

"You just what?"

"...I just wanted to make as many friends as possible…. But, if Ise-san thinks I shouldn't, then….. Nevermind, if Ise-san says not to, then I won't. It's okay."

Issei's eye twitched at Asia's dejected demeanor. He felt guilty, to limit her so. He doesn't want to be the one to hold her back from being happy. Not like 'they' did.

' _...Friends…..'_

Issei cursed himself while releasing a deep, defeated sigh.

"...Haaah….. Do what you want, Asia."

"Eh?... Ah, n-no, it's fine, Ise-san…. I don't need to do anything you don't want me to—"

"—Asia. If you want to go to that place and...make friends, then… I have no right to stop you….. But…."

Issei turned his head away with a scowl.

"...If you're really going to that place….. Then, I'll have no choice but to accompany you."

' _I won't leave her alone with supernatural beings, let alone Devils….'_

"Eh, but, Ise-san shouldn't be doing things he doesn't want to just because of me…."

Issei gently patted Asia's head in response to her regretful expression.

"Asia, I would do it for you. Because if it's for Asia, I'll do anything. You deserve to be happy, even if it my suffering."

"...B-But, I don't want Ise-san to suffer…"

"I know. I won't. But this is just what I'm telling you. If it's for Asia, I will do it, even if it's painful for me. Because that's how far I'm willing to go for you."

"Ise-san…."

Issei rubbed Asia's head gently with a smile, and Asia smiled back up at him with an almost enamoured gaze. To the outside world and the students inhabiting it, the two were being surrounded by an aura of enchantment. To just anyone observing, it would clearly seem like they were a couple.

—Then, to interrupt the tender moment, an ominous figure appeared from behind Issei's back.

"Ohohoho, is this a lovey-dovey atmosphere I smell?"

"Ah, could you be… Aika Kiryuu-san?"

"Ah, so you recognize me! That's right, Asia-chan! I am the famed Aika Kiryuu, from the same class as you! And I have come to finally make acquaintance with yo—"

"—Asia, don't associate with this person."

"Eh?! Denied already?!"

* * *

 **Part 2**

It was late afternoon, the school day was over for most students, including Issei and Asia. Said teenagers were making their way home after finishing their school day, like usual.

But while they were walking, Issei was halted in his step by a certain sensation from off in the distance.

"Ise-san? What's wrong?"

Asia became confused at Issei's sudden halt, but felt unsettled when looking back at his dark expression.

"—Asia. Stay close to me."

"E-Eh? O-Okay... Where are we going?"

—The place that they went to - were the ruins of the abandoned church.

Issei and Asia arrived at the ruins of what was left of the abandoned church, practically that which was nothing but a wasteland, but being covered by a concealment spell, making it appear as if the church was still there.

Issei easily dispelled the concealment with the wave of his arm, exposing the real-time wasteland that was hidden behind it. The moment he did, both of the teenagers caught a glimpse of a figure, sitting further into the ruins.

A person. Someone sitting on their knees, with a disheveled appearance, and sloppily applied bandages covering their back. A person with the appearance of a young, but mature woman.

Sitting on the floor, with her knees to her chest, practically curled up like an abandoned child.

The black haired Fallen-Angel, Raynare.

"...No, Azazel-sama…. I swear that I tried…. I know, I'm good for nothing….. Yes, I know…. I should just die…."

And from behind Raynare, a tall, ever-imposing figure towered over her.

"— _ **Would you like me to oblige you on that?"**_

 **[—?!]**

Raynare's head snapped back to face the dark visage that she has come to dread and dream about. The very same image of a monstrous, "humanoid" form. Issei Hyoudou, her greatest personal demon.

"IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Raynare frantically crawled away from Issei in fear. Curling up into the corner of a remaining structure with her hands tightly gripping the sides of her head.

"N-NO, NO! YOU'RE NOT REAL! GO AWAY! PLEASE!"

Raynare yelled at Issei's figure while cowering in fear and shaking profusely, assuming that he was nothing but another hallucination. She would soon come to know that she was wrong.

"Not real? Looks like she's still dreaming. Let me wake you up for a bit then."

 _ **OOOOOOOOOOHHHHMMMMMMM!**_

Upon feeling the full release of Issei's overbearing aura, coating the entire ruined area red, Raynare became very aware that this was no mere illusion. This was, undoubtedly, reality.

" **Are you awake now, pigeon-shit**?"

 **[—?!]**

"IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Raynare shrieked in unbridled terror, once again coming face-to-face with the monster of her nightmares. This time, in reality.

"— **I remember vaguely telling you and your comrades to disappear from this place the last time we met** ….. **Was I misheard**?"

"I'M SORRY! P-PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I WAS PLANNING TO LEAVE, I SWEAR! B-BUT WITHOUT MY WINGS, IT WAS DIFFICULT— A-AND, AND, MY COMRADES ABANDONED ME HERE! I-I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH TO TELEPORT MYSELF BACK! I WAS JUST REGAINING MY STRENGTH, HONESTLY! I SWEAR, I WOULD'VE GONE—"

"— **My ears grow tired of hearing the same things** , **you know**? **I was sure that I had told you what to do many times before**. **But clearly** , **it seems like you can't take instructions correctly**. **Your superiors must have been constantly disappointed with you**. **But I will do them** , **and you** , **a favor** — **and rid us all of you**."

"...?! N-NO, PLEASE!"

And just like always, the scenario ended up playing out the same exact way as before. Raynare immediately began groveling before Issei's feet.

"P-PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! ANYTHING YOU WANT! JUST PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! WHAT DO YOU WANT? DO YOU WANT MY BODY? D-DO YOU WANT MY EYES? YOU CAN HAVE THEM! MY LEGS? YOU CAN TAKE THOSE! JUST PLEASE, LET ME LIVE!"

Raynare was consumed by such fear that it seemed like she was being pushed to the brink of madness, with even a twisted smile being present on her face. Declaring all of that she was willing to give up for her survival.

Issei, however, was not compelled.

" **I don't have any interest in your offers**. **But if you must know what I want** , **then that would be** — _**your head."**_

 **[!?—?!]**

And with that, the massive, black claw of the beast from her nightmares hovered over her once again, ready to snatch her life from her, without so much as a breath of hesitation. Blacking out the sun and covering her world in darkness, her existence was easily snuffed out in the crushing palm of titan.

This time, in reality.

"N-No, wait!"

—The darkness halted, stopping just short of reaching the trembling Fallen-Angel. The one who had stood between the beast and the vixen, was the holy image of a pure Angel.

"...Asia?"

Issei let out a sound of confusion, not understanding why Asia was standing in between him and Raynare's groveling form. Asia held her arms out in front of the Fallen-Angel, as if protecting her from danger.

"Y-You can't, Ise-san! This is wrong! You cannot kill her!"

Issei was truly shocked. To see Asia defending the very person who planned to kill her only a week ago, it sent a shock to his core.

"...B-But, Asia! This damn wench..! She..! Just a week ago, she was planning to kill you! She was going to rip your Sacred Gear out of you and kill you! She was gonna take your precious item and use it for herself! Don't you understand, she's scum! She deserves to die for what she's done!"

To Issei's shocked rebuttal, Asia just shook her head to the sides.

"Even so! She has already been punished enough, hasn't she? She doesn't need to be killed! Even if she is a Fallen-Angel, I don't think it is right to kill her like this! Even Fallen-Angels, a-and Devils, they also deserve to live!"

Raynare, realizing that there was a possible light at the end of tunnel, pathetically clung onto Asia's legs from behind her.

"Asia! Y-You're such a good girl, Asia! I'm so sorry for everything I've done! I regret it all, really! So p-please, don't let him kill me!"

Asia turned back to Raynare with a sympathetic expression and knelt down beside her.

"...You have really been reduced to a pitiable state, haven't you, Raynare-san….. But, even so….."

Asia looked back up to Issei with sad expression that caused him to feel a tightness in his chest.

"...Isn't this just too cruel, Ise-san?"

Issei's eye received a violent twitch when his mind was subjected to reliving a certain memory.

 _("...Subjecting all of those brainwashed victims of Genesis to such trauma, and then killing them mercilessly, without the chance to recover….. Isn't that just too cruel, Écaille?..")_

 _("Hmph. Too cruel? If you're talkin' about cruelty, then why would you wanna let them live like that? Wouldn't you wanna just put 'em out of their misery, instead of forcing 'em to live with the horrible things they've done? What would you know about living with something terrible you've done? I know it well. And I don't plan to let them suffer like that. To me, you're the one who's too cruel.")_

 _("...Even they deserve a chance at life…. Who are you to decide?")_

 _("Who do you think is the one who decides then?")_

 _("The Lord is…")_

 _("God? Hmph... It's clear, isn't it? He's already decided….")_

Issei's shaking hand clutched onto his face as he struggled with his inner turmoil.

"...But..! Isn't it even more cruel to let her live like this..!"

Issei whispered that only to himself, not having the courage to say it to Asia directly, in fear of possibly repeating history in some indirect way. While Issei was struggling with himself, Asia turned her attention back to Raynare. She quickly took notice of Raynare's scorched backside.

"...This is… These wounds, even though they've been burned, they somehow haven't healed yet…. And it's still warm here…. Let me see.."

"N-No, please!"

Raynare flinched at Asia's gentle touch, but Asia reassured her with a kind smile.

"It's okay. It won't hurt."

After calmly reassuring her, Asia raised her hands up to Raynare's abhorrent wounds and began healing them.

"There. See? It doesn't hurt, right?"

"N-No…"

"You're shaking like a scared kitten… Where have you been staying all this time?"

"I-I have been here…"

"Here? Do you mean… You have been staying at these ruins?"

"I-I have nowhere else to go…. I n-no longer have a home to return to…. After what I did, t-they would surely banish me….. I, I don't have anywhere else…."

Asia's expression became even sadder after hearing that.

"...Is that so…. So you don't have anything then…."

After only a few minutes, Asia was done healing Raynare, and Issei had calmed down enough to speak again.

"...Alright… I understand…. If it's for Asia, then…."

Issei took in a good breath and partially regained his calm and collected demeanor. He pointed his finger towards Raynare.

"Alright then…. You, get the hell out of here. This'll be the absolute LAST time I'm telling you this. Next time, Asia WILL not save you. Get, the hell, out of my home. Do you understand?"

Raynare turned her head down to the floor with an expression of pure despair, as if still facing the inevitability of death. To her, it was essentially a death sentence. A stray Fallen-Angel with no allegiance or comrades, she would certainly be killed by whatever had enough power to do so. Stay, or leave, she was still going to end up dead at some point.

Nevertheless, she had no choice but to agree.

"...Yes….."

Only answering with such a weak voice and posture, Asia could not help but pity Raynare. She saw too much of herself in her. A lost girl with no one or nothing to turn to. But unlike her, she doesn't even have God.

….Or perhaps, they might have been similar in that way...?

….

….

Upon reaching that conclusion, Asia made her decision. She stood up from beside Raynare slowly.

"...Ise-san…. This person has nowhere to go…"

"Hm? Ah, so what? That's not our problem. She can go die off somewhere else for all I care. Asia asked that I spare her, so I will. It's not my problem if somebody else along the way kills her. Or even if she just starves. I've done what's been asked of me."

Issei said it in a nonchalant manner, with not a shred of sympathy in his voice.

But Asia responded to him in a small voice, whilst seemingly refusing to maintain eye contact with him, and holding a nervous posture.

"...When I had nowhere else….Ise-san gave me a home….."

"..."

It went quiet for a moment before Issei's began to fully process what had been said.

"...Heh?"

"...This person was abandoned, just like me…. I also once had no place to belong…."

"...No…. No!"

"...Me and this person… We are the same—"

"NO!"

At that point, Issei's demeanor snapped and he began to shout.

"No! Asia is..! Asia is a kind girl who has never done anything wrong! This bitch..! She's just a good for nothing failure who has hurt and killed many people! Asia and this person are in now way comparable! She is scum! She deserves to die!"

"...Ise-san once told me that he had hurt many people…. I wasn't sure if that was true, but if that is the case, then would that mean that Ise-san is the same?.."

Issei twitched, but agreed nonetheless.

"Yeah, that's right! I'm also a good for nothing scumbag who deserves death! But I still have a promise to protect and make Asia happy! —But this bitch..! She's good for nothing! Nothing at all! She has no worth to anyone or anything the way that she is!"

"...I also had no worth at one time…."

Issei's voice caught in his throat and his face contorted in a torturous inner confliction. His mouth and eye twitched violently, in self frustration and pain. He was hesitant to respond too literally by saying that Asia has a valuable healing power, because to imply that her worth stems from her ability was something that he refused to do. The entire argument was only bringing him pain.

But still, he continued.

"No! That's wrong! That was just the fault of everyone around you! It was just that those bastards failed to recognize Asia's worth as a human being! It's their fault, not yours! That's why Asia has me, and many more friends now! So, it's not comparable! Because this person has no worth anywhere, at any point in time! She only does bad and isn't good for anything! She is worthless from any point of view!"

"...Who is it that gets to decide such things?... God?..."

"God decided her worth when he cast her out from the heavens!"

—All it took was one final soft look in Asia's eyes for Issei to finally break, and with her words dealing the final blow.

" _ **...Then, did God also decide my worth when I was left behind?"**_

 **[!?—?!]**

—Issei felt an all-encompassing shock to his being upon hearing those words. His expression of confliction gradually began to shift further and further into one of pain. His eye continued to twitch violently, to the point that it almost felt painful, and his teeth ground up against each other harshly.

This time, he could not find the right words to respond.

"...N-No…. Asia is…. She is my friend…. It's not the same…."

"...[ _ **For when I was hungry, you gave me food**_ ]..."

"—NO! Don't say it! Don't say those words!"

Issei's hands tightly gripped his head, as he struggled to shut out the memory of those words being spoken to him before, and the sound they made in his current reality.

"...[ _ **I was thirsty, and you gave me drink**_ ]..."

"NO! Stop! Enough!"

 _("Écaille…. Please….")_

"...[ _ **I was a stranger, and you made me feel welcome**_ ]…."

 _("Please...")_

"NO! NO! NO!"

 _("...Stop trying not to feel….")_

—No longer being able to contain his emotions, Issei's lungs released a howl into the sky, and a burst of energy from his body that broke the ground beneath him.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

 _ **BOOOOOOM!**_

The area was briefly blanketed in a cloud of dust before clearing, disappearing as quickly as it came.

And Issei was left on his knees, with his fists nailed into to the ground.

"...Kuh!.. Krr..!"

Issei's jaws continued to grind against each other as he fought against the tears building up in his eyes.

—What he should do, he already knew. It was the same as with Marie. He has thought of it many, many times before.

What would he do for her, if he had her back with him again? He would do anything. If only he could have her back, he would do anything for her. He would never say no to her again. He would never deny a single request from her again, no matter what it was. He would do whatever she says, no matter how unpleasant or painful it was to him. He just wants her back.

And there is no end to the amount of regret he has for not cherishing his time with her, and for ever having told her "no" just for some insubstantial reason.

He would do anything to have her back. And once he got her back, he would do anything and everything for her.

 _ **Because if it was for her sake, then….**_

….

….

….

….

"...GRR!"

Letting out a short but powerful growl, Issei shot his almost teary glare towards Raynare. Raynare flinched harshly under his gaze. But before any further reaction could be had, she was suddenly lifted up into the air by a tight grip on her throat.

—With an grip as firm as steel, Issei held Raynare's body up like a rag doll, and burned his glare into her skull. And with a booming voice that echoed throughout the woods, he commanded.

"— _ **YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN MAKE ANOTHER SINGLE MOVE IN YOUR LIFE THAT IS NOT DICTATED BY MY WILL! NOT SO MUCH AS BREATHE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! NOT A BLINK WITHOUT MY APPROVAL! NOT A WORD WITHOUT MY CONFIRMATION! NOT A SOUND WITHOUT MY CONSENT! NOTHING! EVERYTHING YOU DO AND WILL DO, IT WILL ALL BE DECIDED BY ME! IF I TELL YOU TO DIE, YOU WILL DIE WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE!**_ — _ **FROM THIS MOMENT ON, YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON ASIA'S HAPPINESS! IF YOU DO ANYTHING TO OBSTRUCT THAT, YOU DIE! IF YOU EVER MAKE HER FEEL UNHAPPY OR UNAPPRECIATED, YOU DIE! IF YOU EVER HURT HER, YOU DIE! IF YOU EVER TOUCH HER, YOU DIE! IF YOU SO MUCH AS MAKE HER UNEASY WITH YOUR GAZE, I WILL TEAR YOU OUT FROM THIS REALITY AS IF YOU HAD NEVER EXISTED!**_ — _ **YOUR LIFE, DEPENDS ON HER WELL-BEING! IF THERE IS EVER A MOMENT IN WHICH SHE IS IN DANGER AND I AM NOT PRESENT, YOU WILL PROTECT HER WITH EVERY MOLECULE OF YOUR BEING! IF YOU FAIL TO DO SO, YOU WILL PRAY THAT YOU ARE KILLED BY ANYONE ELSE BEFORE I REACH YOU, BECAUSE ANY PUNISHMENT THAT THEY COULD POSSIBLY BRING YOU, IN COMPARISON TO MINE, WOULD ONLY BE AS 'HEAVY' AS THE VERY WEIGHT OF THE FEATHERS THAT I HAVE SCORCHED FROM YOUR BODY!**_ — _**DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, RAYNAAARE?!"**_

It was the most powerful shout Issei had ever released in Raynare's presence, quaking her being to the point that she felt the rumbling in her soul.

It was such a powerful command, that her body needn't even ask for her own consent to agree. Her head nodded without even requiring communication from her brain. Nothing but pure instinct.

"I-Ise-san! Please, calm down! Put her down!"

Issei's grip released, and Raynare was dropped onto the floor, where she struggled to regain oxygen.

 _ **Thud!**_

"FUCK!"

Issei turned his back to the both of them, with his upper half hunching over and shaking from frustration. The tears threatened to fall out of his eyes, but only a lone one left his right eye.

"...Fuck!….. If it's for Asia's sake, then I will do anything!….. This is my proof of that!... Shit!"

"...Ise-san?..."

Asia stood behind Issei in confusion and worry, not having the courage to touch or speak to him. Issei grit his teeth and wiped away his tears. After a few seconds of silence, he took a deep breath.

Soon enough, he regained his stern, intimidating demeanor filled with authority.

"—Stand."

In a second's notice, Issei was pulling Raynare up by her forearm, forcing her to stand. He instructed her with a demanding tone.

"If you do not walk, then I will drag you there."

* * *

 _ **Dakun!**_

The door to the Hyoudou household burst open and three figures entered. Asia entered first, with Issei following closely behind, forcibly bringing Raynare in by her arm. As soon as they reached the living room, Issei dropped Raynare onto her knees and took hold of a bunch of her hair, pulling her head back.

"—Do not think of this place as your "home". You are NOT welcome here, and I don't care how you feel about it. The only reason you're breathing is because of Asia, so show some respect. More than that, respect this place as if it was the temple of heaven itself. No, considering that your a filthy fallen, you need to treat it with even MORE respect than that place. To you, this better be the most sacred fucking place on earth. Otherwise, if you disrespect it in any way, or break a single thing, you know what will happen."

"Y-Yes, Hyoudou Issei-sama…"

"Who gave you permission to refer to me so casually, wench?"

"I-I'm sorry. P-Please forgive me, Sekiryuutei-sama…"

"Tch! Shut up. More importantly, this."

Issei pulled Raynare by her hair again, having no regard for her painful squeal, and pointed her towards the hallway leading to a certain extra room in the house. Down that hallway, was a shrine dedicated to the Hyoudou couple.

"See that room? That room is the most sacred place out this entire sacred house. If you ever set your filthy foot into that room, even for a moment, I will take your head without hesitation. Understand?"

"...Y-Yes, Sekiryuutei-sama…"

"Your life belongs to me and Asia now. I decide if you live or die, no one else. Disobey me, and your life is forfeit. Understand?"

"..Y-Yes, Sekiryuutei-sama…"

"Hmph. Good."

With that, Issei released Raynare onto the floor and walked away. Asia, who had been standing by silently up till now, knelt down beside Raynare.

"Are you okay?"

"...Y-Yes, Asia-sama…"

"It's okay. I don't mind being called normally."

"...Y-Yes, Asia-san…"

"Is your body okay? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"...No, I'm alright…"

"But you're covered in dirt…. Ah, that's right! We should take a bath. It's been a while since you've had one, right? Your body still has some blood and ash on it. We should get that cleaned off."

"Eh? N-No, thank you. —I-I mean, I am alright. Asia-san doesn't need to trouble herself over someone like me... I.."

Though Raynare tried to decline, Asia asked Issei from where he stood in the kitchen.

"Ano, Ise-san… I am going to take a bath now. Is that okay?"

"Hm? Yeah, sure, go ahead. I'm gonna keep cooking. Dinner will be ready by the time you're out."

"Okay…. And also, Raynare-san will be joining me as well..."

Issei stopped cooking and turned to face Asia.

"No. I won't allow it."

"B-But, Ise-san..! If it is just a bath, then it should be fine. I'm sure there will be no problems. Just leaving her like that is cruel."

"I don't care how she looks or smells, it won't change how disgusting she is to me either way. Allowing her to wash herself would only let her retain some sense of dignity, which I don't care for."

"B-But, if her body is dirty, then she may stain the house..?"

"In that case, I'll just make her stay out back."

"Y-You can't do that! Ise-san, you said that I was the one who decided what happened to her. If that's the case, then I decide that she should be clean. She is a girl just like me, so she should be able to be clean too."

Issei only groaned in response to Asia's retort.

"...You keep saying considerate things like that… You shouldn't be kind to scum like her."

Asia looked down to her hands in a sad way.

"...But without that, I have nothing….. Being kind is…. It's part of who I am…."

(—!)

To that, Issei had no response. It was something he couldn't argue, after all.

"...You're right…. Asia is just kind…. She shouldn't have to change that…."

And because of that, he sighed in compliance.

"Haah…. Alright, Asia. Go ahead. Do what you want."

Asia's face brightened up with Issei's confirmation.

"Okay!"

Asia ran back to the place that Raynare was left and stood her up with a kind smile.

"Come with me, Raynare-san. Let's take a bath."

"E-Eh? But.."

With that, Asia dragged Raynare off into some separate area of the household in order to take a bath, leaving Issei alone to cook in the kitchen. Ddraig communicated to Issei from within his mind.

[Why not just bathe with them yourself, partner?]

' _..I wouldn't want to make Asia feel uncomfortable. Besides, if there are any problems, Asia will let me know.'_

 _ **Meow~**_

Issei knelt down and fed his cat with some sliced ham he was holding.

' _..And depending on what she says, I'll be washing that woman's blood down the drain.'_

* * *

"Hmm~ mm, it doesn't hurt, does it, Raynare-san?"

"...N-No…"

Inside of one of the bathrooms, Asia and Raynare were bathing together. Despite Asia's seemingly friendly and kind attitude, Raynare was fairly quiet, only speaking when spoken to. Asia simply washed Raynare's back with a smile, making sure to rub gently as not to harm her. Even though her wounds had been healed by Asia's Sacred Gear, she wouldn't want to take the chance.

Raynare, on the other hand, was sitting with a stiff and insecure posture.

"I'm sorry that you didn't get to keep your wings. I thought they were pretty."

"..."

"..Um, d-do those grow back..?"

"..."

"...R-Right, of course not… I'm sorry..."

Asia couldn't help feeling awkward due to the uncomfortable atmosphere. It wasn't easy to make small talk with someone who attempted to kill you, and was then defeated by your savior. "Defeated", because again, Asia does not know the full extent of Issei's 'judgement' inflicted on the Fallen-Angels.

Regardless, she still tried.

"...A-Ano, if you don't mind me asking… What was heaven like?"

"...Asia-san."

"Eh? Yes?"

Raynare asked Asia with a very small voice and a reserved posture, almost letting her body curl up on itself.

"...Why are showing me kindness?"

"Eh?"

"...You heard him, right?... I tried to kill you….. He was right….. I was going to take your Sacred Gear and let you die…. You understand, right? I was going to kill you….. So why do you treat me like this when you know what I was going to do to you?"

To Raynare's loaded question, Asia went quiet for a moment. Then, she responded.

"...Raynare-san, do you want to die?"

Raynare froze. Her fingers tightly gripped her forearms, almost digging and tearing into the skin from pure fear. Her body could be seen shivering very subtly.

"...N-No….. I-I'm sorry….. I didn't mean t—"

"—I also want to live."

"Eh?"

Though Raynare was still fearful, she also quickly became confused as Asia started to give her an oddly personal speech.

"...Before I met Ise-san, I didn't really care what happened to me… Because, in the eyes of those I cared about, I no longer had any worth… So, I thought that maybe it was better for Raynare-san to take my Sacred Gear… Because maybe then, Raynare-san could make herself feel more useful to those she cared about, unlike me…. But…."

Asia placed a hand close to her chest.

"...But after I met Ise-san, that all changed…. I wanted to continue living on to make new memories in a new life that he promised me…. I don't have to worry about my "worth", because now I have Ise-san, and many other friends…. Raynare-san is stronger than me. Even though you have nowhere to go, you don't want to die. You want to keep living on no matter what….. And, if Raynare-san wants to keep on living too, then who am I to take that away from her?"

"...B-But…. I was the one who tried to kill you…. Don't you think I deserve to be punished for that?"

"...Maybe…. But I am still not the one to decide that."

"...What?"

"In the eyes of Ise-san...and maybe even in the eyes of the Lord himself, you may deserve punishment or judgement….. But…. I am not Ise-san. And I am not God….. Unlike them, I can never be the one to decide to cast judgment unto others…. It is not who I am….. I…"

Asia placed her hands together and closed her eyes in a prayer-like fashion.

"I believe in the Lord's teachings to spread peace and love…. I don't want to watch others suffer. I don't want to watch others die. And I don't want to be the one to decide who suffers and who dies…. That is not who I am…. That is not who I want to be…. That's why, I am grateful that Ise-san does not force that upon me…. Ise-san may seem scary, and maybe even a bit cruel sometimes, but…. I know that he is kind in his heart. I know that he wishes to be kind. Because if that wasn't true, then he would have just forced his ideals on me, and he would've killed Raynare-san and the others without thinking about me….. But he didn't…. He was considerate of me…. Even though it angered and hurt him, he was still considerate of me….. Raynare-san, I am not Ise-san. I am myself. I do not wish you death or suffering….. That's why, if Raynare-san doesn't want to die, then I also do not want to let her die…. Perhaps that is a weakness…. But that is who I am….."

Then, Asia gave Raynare a smile as bright as the sun.

"Besides, Raynare-san no longer has a reason to hurt me anymore, right?"

And she was only to be followed by pure silence.

…..

…..

…..

Raynare whispered quietly under her breath.

"...Thank y…."

"Eh? What was that, Raynare-san?"

"...Nothing."

Raynare picked up a wash rag from beside her.

"...I'll wash your back too."

"Eh? N-No, it's alright. You don't need to.."

"...I don't mind."

"Eh? O-Okay…."

* * *

 _ **Splash!**_

Issei sat down in the bathtub with his signature apathetic expression. Asia and Raynare had already finished their bathing before dinner, leaving Issei to bathe on his own after dinner.

And having nothing else to do but soak, Issei's mind wandered off to the happenings of that day.

"Haaah…."

Of course, he was contemplating on whether he would regret his decision.

—Meanwhile, Asia was washing dishes alongside of Raynare in the kitchen.

"...I'll help you with that…"

"Ah, o-okay..!"

The two girls washed dishes in silence together. While Asia was feeling a little awkward from the silence, Raynare was lost in her own thoughts. Even now, she was still pondering her own life's purpose.

' _...I am their slave now…. That's all I am at this point…. I have no dignity, no pride, and no purpose….. All I can do is whatever they say… Otherwise, I die… That's all there is to it….. I'm nothing more than the Sekiryuutei's glorified bitch-slave….'_

Raynare growled internally.

' _...Tch…. And those bastards! They were supposed to be my allies, but they just left me behind here! They knew I couldn't transport anywhere with that little amount of stamina and power, especially just after having my wings clipped! It was supposed to be obvious that we'd all use our power to get out of here together, not leave somebody behind! Idiots! ...Well, then again, I guess I did try throwing them under the bus before…. But, they said they would always stay loyal to me, so what the hell's up with that?!... Hmph. Whatever… I guess I just got what was coming to me, huh…..'_

The rate at which Raynare washed dishes decreased, and her movements became slower.

' _...And now I can't even return to Grigori because they would label me as a traitor and cast me out... So it's not like I even have a choice anyway….. I'm on my own…'_

Raynare stopped herself midway through washing a bowl and caught her own reflection in the water contained in it.

' _...On my own, just like always… Now, I'm just stuck playing "doggie" to the Sekiryuutei and…. This girl…. This damned girl! Even though I recently tried to kill her, she still smiles at me! What the hell's up with her?! Is she messed up in the head or something?! Stop smiling at me! Stop playing nice with me! Stop showing me kindness, acting as if you really care! You don't care! Nobody cares! That's just how it is! That's how it's always been! I'm all on my own, just like always! So stop acting so friendly with me! Stop acting nice to me!_ — _I don't have anyone! I don't have you, I don't have my allies, and I don't have Grigori! I'm on my own, just like I've always been!...'_

Raynare's hands began to shake, causing the bowl filled with water to quiver, jumbling her reflection. Her grip on it tightened and she bit her lip. She could not ignore the intense frustration she felt. So much frustration, to the point that it threatened to moisten her eyes.

' _...Fuck them! Fuck those idiots! Fuck Grigori! It's all the same anyway, with or without me! Nothing changes!_ — _I'm all on my own again, just like always! Nothing has changed! Even now, everything has stayed the same! I was stupid to think that things would get better just because I joined Grigori! It's still the same! It's always been like this! It will always be like this! Nothing has changed! Nothing will ever change! So fuck it! Who cares! No one will remember me anyway! No one will care anyway! So fuck it! Who cares! Pride and dignity, my ass! As if I care about that! I'll just go on and survive no matter what, just like I always have! Even if that means becoming the Sekiryuutei's bitch! Even if that means throwing away my Fallen-Angel pride! Even if that means having no dignity! I don't care! I will survive! Because that's who I am! That's what I have always been! A survivor! And that's what I'll keep on being for the rest of my life, nothing more!_ — _Nothing has changed! Nothing! Nothing! NOTHING!'_

And so, due to the pressure of her grip, the bowl in her hands broke apart.

 _ **Crack!**_

"R-Raynare-san! What happened!"

"Nothing!"

Raynare immediately turned her body away from Asia and held a closed-off posture. The moisture in her eyes was already on the brink of falling down her cheeks, and she grit her teeth tightly, as to not release any of it.

Asia attempted to reach out to Raynare, but she pulled away.

"Raynare-san? What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Don't touch me!"

"—What's going on?"

Suddenly, from beyond the corner, Issei's figure had somehow appeared. His body was still drenched in water and he held only a towel around his waist.

"I-Ise-san! I thought you were in the bath!"

"I was. But then I heard the sound of something breaking."

His gaze shifted over to Raynare, who had her back turned to both of them. His expression naturally growing dark over the seconds.

But Asia stepped into his line of vision, covering Raynare with her own body and smiling nervously.

"I-It's nothing, Ise-san. It was my fault. I accidentally dropped one of the bowls I gave to Raynare-san, and it ended breaking and cutting her hand. She just hurt herself because of my mistake. I-I'm sorry…"

Though Asia said that, Issei was clearly skeptical, retaining his suspicious gaze on Raynare's backside. But Asia continued.

"...Y-You aren't mad that I broke the bowl, are you, Ise-san?"

Issei remained silent for a moment, but then sighed lightly. His rare smile of kindness returned once again.

"No, Asia, I'm not mad. It's just a bowl. So long as you're not hurt, I don't mind."

"N-No, I'm fine. B-But, Raynare-san is hurt, so I'm just going to heal her.."

"...Yeah, do what you want, Asia. It's fine…. I'll be in the bath if you need me."

"Y-Yes, Ise-san… Thank you.."

With that, Issei returned to his bath, allowing Asia to let out a sigh of relief.

But Raynare fell onto her knees.

"...Fuck!"

"R-Raynare-san!"

And finally, the tears fell from her eyes.

' _Fuck, fuck, FUCK! Why the fuck are you crying, you fucking idiot! What are you fucking crying about?!_ — _Shut the fuck up! Shut your fucking mouth! You don't have any right to cry, so shut the fuck up, you failure! What do you care about any of it?! What do you care about being alone?! What do you care about being abandoned?! What do you care about having no dignity or power?! You've done it like this your whole life! Nothing has changed! It's all the same! Nothing is fucking different, so why are you crying?! You're pathetic! You're laughable!_ — _What would they all say about you if they could see you?! They would laugh at you, and call you a failure, because that's just what you are! You're a stain! You're a nuisance! Crying over something like this, something you're used to?! You're pathetic! Trash! Scum! Lowlife! Failure! You're a sorry excuse for a Fallen-Angel! You have no right to cry, so shut your fucking trap!'_

Raynare let out small noises that sounded almost like she was choking on something. Her hands were up near her chest, balled up tightly into fists. And her teeth were glued to each other, with small sounds of struggling released from them. Sounds of struggling against something powerful.

"...Kuh!... Fuck!..."

"...R-Raynare-san?"

Asia peered over Raynare's shoulder, in hopes of realizing what was wrong with her.

"...Why..!"

—Only to see that she was crying painfully.

"...Why?!... Why does it fucking hurt?!..."

 _ **Hug**_ …

And from behind her, Asia wrapped her arms around and held her softly.

"...Don't..! Fucking…! Touch me..!"

And though Raynare said that, she made no attempts to remove herself from Asia's grip.

She simply continued to pointlessly struggle against her emotions, despite the waterfall of tears being released from her eyes.

* * *

It was later that night, and it was time for Issei and Asia to sleep. Asia requested for Raynare to sleep in her room, to which Issei initially refused. But when Asia reiterated that it was her choice to make, Issei reluctantly complied. Thus, he pulled Raynare by the collar of her borrowed pajamas from Asia and held her close.

"—You will do NOTHING to her and you will NOT disturb her sleep. If I receive complaints of any sort, you're dead, understood?"

Raynare's eyes were drained of all emotion, and her expression made it seem as if her spirit had finally broken. And so, she easily complied with a dead voice.

"...Yes, sir…."

Satisfied with her answer, Issei released his grip and dropped her onto the ground. After that, he and Asia gave their good nights, and they seemingly all prepared to sleep.

Asia said it after shutting the lights off.

"Ano…. Raynare-san, y-you can sleep in my bed with me, if you'd like…."

Raynare, who was lying on a futon on the floor and turned away from Asia, responded in a flat tone.

"...Is that an order?"

"Eh? No…"

"...Then I'm fine…."

"Eh? Ah, okay…. Goodnight then…."

After saying her goodnight, Asia set herself to sleep, leaving Raynare to lie in her futon, awake and motionless.

….

Yet, for some reason, her gaze kept being drawn behind her, towards the bed.

"..."

After some time, Raynare stood up from the floor and walked over to Asia's bedside. With a few seconds of pause, she slowly brought herself into the bed and laid down beside the sleeping Asia.

"..Huu… Huu.."

Asia slept peacefully beside her, hardly even letting out a sound with her gentle breathing. Raynare merely stared at her silently.

"..."

 _ **Pomf**_ …

With a very slow and subtle movement, Raynare lifted her arms up and held them open. She reached to the sleeping girl beside her, almost as if to bring her into an embra…

…. _ **Slide**_ ….

But, she just turned her body to face away from Asia and closed her eyes.

' _...I'm alone….. That's how it's always been….. And that's how it will always be…..'_

* * *

 _ **The Occult Research Club**_

* * *

 **Part 3**

In the clubroom of the old school building, the Occult Research Club, otherwise known as the Gremory group, were all gathered as usual. The school day was already over and the Devils were now preparing to do their 'Devil work'.

That was until they heard a knocking on the door.

 _ **Knock, knock**_.

"Come in."

Following Rias's approval, the doors opened and two familiar figures stepped in. Upon which she promptly stood up from her desk when seeing them.

"Oh! Well, look who it is."

"E-Excuse us…"

"Tch…"

Asia walked into the clubroom with a bow, while Issei just clicked his tongue, clearly discontent with being there. Rias greeted the both of them with a friendly smile.

"Welcome, Ise, Asia. I see that you've taken up my invitation to join my club."

Asia answered her a bit shyly.

"No, well… I'm not sure about joining, but… I wanted to be able to continue making new friends. Even if it was with Devils…."

"Ah, well, thank you for your consideration. And I see that even Ise has come around to the idea as well."

"Don't get the wrong idea, Gremory. I'm only here to take care of Asia. I have no interest in exchanging niceties with you."

Issei stated it coldly to Rias, as usual. In fact, it was such a natural occurrence at this point that Rias simply nodded without losing her smile.

"Mm, well, I thought as much. Nevertheless, welcome. Please have a seat wherever you'd like. Would you like some tea?"

"Y-Yes, please."

The two sat down together on the couch opposite of the silently eating Konenko. Asia greeted the school mascot and Koneko merely responded with a nod. Asia also greeted Kiba, and Akeno, who served them tea. Unlike her, Issei obviously refrained, preferring to scan the room for anything suspicious as he had always done.

Some might say he was being paranoid, but caution was something he learned not to neglect, even as a child. Or more like, 'especially' as a child, most unfortunately.

Finding nothing out of the ordinary, aside from a red magic circle painted with red ink sitting at one side of the room, Issei ceased his scanning and addressed the Devils themselves.

"So, shitty Devil. Why exactly have you called Asia here? What business do you have with her?... You don't plan on asking her anything 'stupid', do you?..."

Issei finished the last part with a more ominous tone, clearly making reference to the idea of Rias reincarnating Asia into a Devil. Rias answered casually after taking a sip of her tea.

"My, isn't it just enough to say that we were being friendly? I just wanted to make sure that little Asia-chan knew she was welcome here anytime. All of us being involved with the supernatural world in one way or another, I just wanted her to know that she had some more allies on this side, in case she ever needed it."

Issei's eye twitched at hearing the word "allies". Rias then sent Issei a playful wink.

"Besides, if the priestess shows up, then I'm sure her "Dragon guardian" will follow, right?"

In other words, a calculated move to get Issei to return to the clubroom along with Asia. Realizing this made Issei click his tongue in irritation.

"Tch…. Cunning as a flying fox, huh, Devil…"

"Well, Ise. I'm afraid to say that your analogy doesn't really work, considering that flying foxes are not in any way affiliated with the family of genus canis, you know?"

"Hmph. It's called "wordplay" for a reason, Devil. So I guess that just means you're as smart as a rodent instead."

"Ara, Ise. Bats aren't rodents either. Your grades are fairly high, I thought you would know all of this."

Rias ended that with a sly smile. To which, Issei only frustratingly growled.

[Hoh. It looks like the woman has become acquainted enough with your callous attitude to properly banter with you, boy. How funny.]

' _Shut up, lizard..'_

Issei groaned at himself, dreading the idea that he was going to be stuck in this room for possibly minutes. Asia just continued to drink her tea in a respectful manner.

When Rias originally invited Asia over to the clubroom, she was almost certain that Asia would have brought Issei along with her. But she wasn't entirely sure what to do once they got here. There wasn't much that she had planned for their arrival, especially considering that she didn't expect them to appear so unexpectedly.

"Buchou."

Interrupting Rias's train of thought, Akeno leaned in and whispered to her.

"What about the clients for tonight?"

"Clients?"

Rias was then reminded of the clients they were meant to contract with that night. And with that reminder, she suddenly had a thought.

' _That's right!'_

Having found her solution, she stood from her desk with a cool smile.

"Thank you for reminding me, Akeno. —Asia, Ise, good timing. Today I have actually called you for good reason."

Rias said that, though she didn't technically have a reason until now. This sudden announcement caused Issei to raise a brow in suspicion.

"And pray tell, what exactly is that, Devil?"

Rias smirked.

"That is: A Devil's job!"

"Huh? I told you we're not interested in becoming your lackeys, shithead."

"—Erk."

Having her dramatic thunder immediately ruined by Issei, Rias frowned.

"No, that's not what I meant, Ise…. I meant that... Rather, let me ask you this. Do you know happen to know what a Devil's "job" is, Ise?"

"Don't know, don't care."

"—Er."

For the first time, Rias actually found herself just the least bit irritated with Issei's attitude and her brow twitched slightly. But knowing that this would happen, she asked Asia instead.

"—Ahem. In that case, let me ask Asia. Asia, do you know what a Devil's job is?"

"J-Job? Um, no, I do not…"

"Well, would you like to know?"

"Um…"

Asia looked up to Issei for his approval. But Issei gave her the usual answer while looking away.

"...Do what you want, Asia."

Hearing this, Asia just looked back at Rias.

"Um, okay…"

Rias regained her lost smile.

"Great! Allow me to explain."

"Fuck."

Rias walked around to the front of her desk and leaned her supple bottom against it as she prepared to give her explanation. Issei groaned heavily to himself. And with the clear of her throat, Rias began.

"Ahem. —So, Asia, for starters, it's important to know that amongst Devils there are certain ranks in the hierarchy. The main three levels are of course: Low-Class, Middle-Class, and High-Class Devils. Any one Devil who is recently reincarnated and servant to a High-Class Devil is known as a [Low-Class Devil], the lowest level for Devils. Though there are many High-Class Devils who are born into their status, like myself, there are also a few Low-Class Devils who became High-Class Devils through hard work, attaining their rank by certain means."

"—Ha. So I guess that just means you're just a spoiled brat who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, huh, Devil."

"Ise-san…"

Issei said mockingly to Rias with a smug smirk. Rias ignored his very insulting comments and continued.

"...The means by which these Low-Class Devils attain their ranks are through various achievements. Achievements like societal contributions, war efforts, contract fulfillment, and success in something called the [Rating games]. But that's a conversation for another time. What we want to focus on is 'contract fulfillment'. You see, every Low-Class Devil starts out by being assigned to receive contracts from humans. Contracts that tie the human to the Devil and allow the human to make a "wish" or "request" for the Devil to fulfill. If the Devil fulfills this request, then a "pact" is created and the human must sign a contract with the Devil. That, and the human will provide the Devil with some form of compensation. Sometimes it's money, sometimes it's a gift, usually it depends on the agreement reached between both parties. But the old days of when souls were used as barter are practically done and gone. All in all, nowadays, a Devil's job is contract making."

The two humans took in the information in their own ways. Asia, being the innocently curious girl she is, found it quite intriguing. Meanwhile, Issei found himself being reminded of the memory with the crazy priest, who nailed a man to his own living room wall.

 _("Hmm, hmm? What do you mean? Obviously I did it because~, he was a regular criminal who has been summoning Devils, so I had to kill him. Huh? Are you shocked? Aren't you going to walk away? That's weird? Really weird. I mean humans who make a pact with Devils are scum. Scum indeed. You're a member of the church. Can't you understand that?")_

Issei's eyes narrowed as he whispered to himself.

"Hooh… So that's how it was…"

"So, any questions?"

Rias prompted for the two to ask a question of any sort. Asia, being a generally uncoordinated girl, didn't really know what to ask. So she struggled to herself while humming. Issei, however, didn't care to know anymore, so he didn't ask.

"Umm…"

That was until, Asia started staring up at him for some reason.

"...What?"

Issei was confused as to why Asia was staring at him, but he very quickly figured it out.

[It seems that she wants to know more, partner.]

Issei frowned and stared down at Asia.

' _...You want me to ask them about it, don't you?'_

Even though Issei was staring quietly at Asia in the outside world, Asia somehow nodded in confirmation to his unspoken question.

[Hoho. She is a mind-reader now. Or perhaps you've simply become that close with each other.]

' _Shut it, gecko.'_

"Haah…. Fine, I got one… Uh, fuckin'..."

Issei asked the first thing that came to mind.

"I don't know. Is there anybody who ever asks ya' to fuck 'em?"

"I-Ise-san!"

"What! You told me to ask 'em! It's the first thing I thought of."

"T-That's dirty!"

"Aw, come on! Humans are sick fucks. You know there's gotta be one or two assholes who wanna play with those tits."

"I-Ise-san!?"

To Issei's vulgar question and comments, Rias somehow found herself smiling awkwardly.

"My, my, Ise. That is quite the...interesting question. Well, I can tell you for the record that there are certain services in Devil society that do specialize in such things, so that doesn't affect us. Most Devils like us handle the more "moderate" requests. But, you know, Ise… By the way you say that, it almost makes it seem like you're the one who's interested instead. I had no idea you had a fascination with breasts."

Rias finished that while very subtly accentuating her bust and smiling, as if she was trying to somehow tease Issei. Issei did not react.

"I don't. I did used to run around yelling "oppai" in the past, but that was when I was kid, for…certain reasons."

"Hm, Ise as a mischievous child? Somehow I can't imagine it."

"Good. Don't."

From across the table, Koneko gave Issei a deadpan expression and a harsh label.

"...Pervert."

"Huh? Who the hell you callin' "lust", "gluttony"?"

Asia looked down at her own chest with a bit of a sad face.

"...I didn't know Ise-san valued such things.."

"No, well, I just said I didn't but alright."

"Oh, Ise, it's fine. There's no shame in being attracted to such things. You are still a healthy young boy after all."

"Shut up, spoiled brat."

Rias frowned at Issei's insult again.

"Ise… I'll have you know, just because I was born into an esteemed family does not mean that I do not work hard. I also do things on my own, you know."

"Uh huh, sure. So says every other rich kid with an inheritance."

"Inheritance? Now, I may be from a financially prosperous estate, but that doesn't mean I intend to leech off of my family's success. I work to get to the places I am, not rely on my heritage. —I am my own person. Just because I stem from one of the remaining 72 pillars doesn't mean I think I deserve special treatment or any advantages."

Issei basically zoned out while Rias was proclaimed herself very passionately, being more focused on picking the inside of his ear with his pinky. But unlike him, Asia became curious at the fact.

"Is Rias-san an important person?"

"Hmm, me? Well, in a way, I suppose I am. I am considered an [Arch-duchess] of the Gremory family after all. In layman's terms, that would be akin to a princess, I believe."

"A princess..!"

Asia made a sound of amazement, clearly impressed by Rias's statement. In contrast to her, Issei just made a scoffing sound.

"Huh! So you're just a spoiled shitty pretty little princess instead. That's even worse."

"Again, I don't think I have to reiterate that I am still mysel—"

"—Uh huh, whatever you say, blue-blooded bat. More importantly, there even a reason why you told us all this shit in the first place?"

"Hmm? Oh!"

Rias made an expression of surprise, as if she just remembered something.

"Right. I had almost forgotten. Ahem. Back to the topic of contract making, I actually had a proposition for you two."

"Oy, don't even think about asking us for any stupid contract shit. Just to let you know, we're denying immediately."

"No, no, Ise. That's not it. What I wanted to ask is related to that, but not directly to you two. Rather, what I wanted to ask was if you cared to join us on one of our excursions to make a pact with humans."

Issei furrowed his brows at Rias's so-called proposition.

"Join you? Why the hell would we wanna help you steal human souls?"

"Ugh, as I said before, that is not a common practice anymore. But if you must ask, I'm inviting you so that you can possibly become familiar with the work of Devils."

"Huh? Why should we?... Don't tell me this is another plot to try and get us to join your shitty side..."

Issei was too perceptive for his own good. Or more like, he was too perceptive for other people's good. Not being able to admit that Rias did consider this as a possible way to interest them with Devil society, she denied his claim.

"Another? I don't really remember ever enticing you with such a thing before… But, either way, isn't it something that interests you, what Devils do at night? Aren't you curious to find out what it's like?"

"No."

And of course, Issei displayed no interest at all. Sighing in expectance, Rias turned to Asia instead.

"Haah, why am I not surprised?... Asia, what about you? Are you interested in seeing how Devils operate?"

Asia didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned her gaze back to Issei, who was immediately bothered by it.

"You've got to be fucking kidding."

"..N-No, well… If Ise-san doesn't want me to, of course I won't…"

"Ugh, Asia, what have I said a thousand times up to this point? Whenever you wanna do something I don't approve of, what do you do?"

"...Ask you?"

Issei deadpanned at her response.

"Asia."

"...Do what I want.."

"Okay, so what do you wanna do?"

"...I want to see the Devils work.."

"Fuck!"

Issei cursed out loud at himself, knowing that he's lost the battle.

"...In that case, we're fucked…"

Rias smiled widely the moment Issei said that.

"So you agree! Great. That's perfect timing because our Rook, Koneko, just so happened to receive a contract request tonight. So this is your opportunity to witness it firsthand."

"Ah, fuck, look what you've gotten us into, Asia.."

"...I'm sorry.."

"No, I'm joking, Asia. I'm annoyed with the Devils, not you."

"Ara, Ise. But Asia is the one who agreed, you know?"

"Yeah, and if you didn't exist, my life would be perfect right now."

"Ise-san, that's mean..."

"But it's true."

In the middle of the back and forth, Akeno called out to her master, gesturing to the time.

"Well, all of that aside, we best get going. Otherwise, the client may become impatient and cancel the summon. Considering that this is a special occasion, I'll allow the whole peerage to accompany us. Now, please step over here, you two."

Rias motioned to another spot in the room, right over the place where the red painted magic circle was. As soon as Issei and Asia came near it, Issei stopped himself and Asia midstep. He examined the circle suspiciously.

"...What's special about this magic circle?"

"Special? Well, without being a part of my peerage, it would be impossible to teleport using our personal magic circles. Unlike the magic circles that I can create, this relies solely on the activation of my and my peerage members' demonic-power. It's possible to transport those outside of my group via this specific circle. As much as it pains me to say it, I don't yet have the magical skill to easily create magic circles that stretch beyond transporting my members."

Issei smirked amusingly at Rias's confession.

"Heh, that so? Not as smart as you thought you were, huh, bat-brain?"

"I'll have you know that I'm considered a very talented magician, despite my age. I have fairly good magical prowess, and even higher magical potential, compared to most of my generation."

For some reason unknown to himself, Issei found his right eye closing on itself. He didn't know why, but he was being reminded of the times when Ddraig would say that he had the highest potential amongst the Boosted Gear possessors. He remembers obsessing over it, training so hard just to see that potential reached.

And now, he wonders if it means anything. After all, if he reached his potential at a time that was "too little, too late", then what would that mean?

— _If he reached his potential after failing to protect the woman he was seeking that very potential for, then what worth is that potential?_

…...

"...Hmph. Well, "princess", potential is just that. Potential. If it isn't turned into something tangible, then it's worthless. It doesn't exist. Just having potential doesn't bar you from becoming a failure."

Issei stated that in a solemn tone that was uncommon of him. Despite his words, it didn't sound like he was even trying to mock Rias this time. It was just something he said truthfully, as if they were his own feelings.

As a result, Rias ended up subconsciously taking his words to heart.

"...That is…"

She shook away her thoughts, returning to the situation at hand.

"Anyway, let's get going. We don't want to keep out client waiting, do we?"

* * *

 **Part 4**

 _ **Shiiin!**_

The magic circle beneath the group gave off a bright glow, forcing them to hold their eyes closed as they teleported. When the light dimmed down, they opened their eyes, revealing themselves to the environment.

From the looks of it, it was a room in an apartment. When Issei looked around the room, he noticed the abundance of objects related to Sengoku. There was a sword in a sheath mounted on the wall and many posters of Japanese castles. There was also a scroll that says "Fuurin-Kazan". There was even a helm of the "bushou" from the sengoku era on the shelf. The room was dark, but there were lights on lamps.

"Waah!"

Asia let out a sudden voice and almost fell back. But Issei quickly caught her with his forearm.

"It's alright, Asia. It's just armor."

That's right. The thing that surprised Asia was an armor of a bushou right in front of her. It looked ominous because of how dark it was in the room. Looking around, there didn't seem to any persons in the room besides them.

But, thanks to Issei's acute senses, he could very easily tell: that armor was not empty.

"Um….ummmm…"

 _ **GASHAN.**_

Just as the armor moved, a voice was also released from within it, causing Asia to jump again.

"Uwaah!"

"Ar…..are you people Devils….?"

The armor was talking. No, rather, there was a person speaking from inside of it. And from the sound of the voice, it was a woman. Or at least, that's what Issei had surmised. But honestly, he was also just as surprised to see someone in bushou that he almost didn't believe it and had to confirm it himself.

"...You're a woman, aren't you?"

The armor nodded in response to Issei's question.

"But I'm really shocked…. Devils do exist….."

"Oh, you're the shocked one, huh?"

"My name is Susan. Just like you can see, my hobby is to collect things related to the sengoku-era…. I'm sorry for dressing up like this… It's dangerous at night, so I protect myself like this by wearing this armor…."

"No, you're clearly the only dangerous one out there, miss foreigner."

"I-Ise-san!"

To interrupt the banter, Rias stepped in front of the group, taking the foremost position. She started with a nod.

"Yes, the first step of learning another country's culture is by being in contact with them. It's wonderful."

"No, don't agree with her, you'll enable her, shitty Devil."

"—Anyway, my name is Rias Gremory. We are the Devils you summoned. These two on my left are just here to supervise, but they are humans like you."

"I see…. I'm glad that the ones who came out were kind looking devil-san. If it was a scary devil-san, I would have drawn out this katana, "Kijin-marukuni-shige"….."

Susan says that while holding a Japanese sword in a sheath in her hand. Due to the blatant ridiculousness of the situation, Issei's face somehow ended up getting stuck with a deadpan expression. Truly, there were not many times that he was in a situation like this. But if it wasn't for Asia being around, he would've already walked out of the apartment without saying a word.

"So what was the reason you summoned us? You called us because you wanted us to fulfill your wish right?"

When Rias asked, the armored woman, Susan, started to cry.

"….Sob….sob….. Please come with me to the University I am attending as an exchange student…. University at night is really scary…"

Upon hearing that request, Issei reflexively felt the need to ask.

"You're joking, right?"

"B-But, but..! I left my University notebook there….. University at night is too scary, I can't go alone…. Uuu…..."

"Hmm…."

Issei let out a low hum with a pure deadpan expression….

—And true to his word, he immediately turned to walk out of the room, with Asia pulling back at his sleeve.

"We're going home, Asia."

"N-No, wait, Ise-san! We're supposed to supervise!"

Issei turned back with a now annoyed expression.

"What a stupid request. Can't you just go on your own?"

"N-No way..! But what if I get attacked..?!"

"There's no one way in hell someone would attack you. If anything, anyone who sees you would immediately assume that you're out to kill them."

"It's fine, isn't it, Ise? If you really don't care to help, then you two can just wait here while my peerage and I go to retrieve it. How's that? Can Ise and Asia wait here with you, Susan?"

"Wait? No, no. I can't let only Devil-san go. I will go as well!"

Susan said it while crying.

"Oh, it looks like she wants to accompany us. Well, that's fine too. In that case, let's just all go together."

"Y-Yes!"

Susan agreed with Rias's suggestion, leaving only Issei to respond. Of course, Issei looked to find his answer in Asia. But she just tilted her head cutely up at him.

"...Ugh, goddammit."

—.

 _ **GASHAN, GASHAN.**_

It's nighttime, and there is an armor walking in the street.

"Ooooooooooooooon…!"

Susan is crying because she's afraid of walking at night. She cries with such a low voice that it sounds like she's a walking curse. She has so much intensity that it's scaring Asia.

"It's a waste to leave her as a human."

Rias says that while she was taking interest at the atmosphere Susan was giving off.

Susan is a scaredy cat, and she starts to dangerously swing her katana if she gets even the least bit afraid. She was troubled because she left an important notebook at school. Then she saw the leaflet to summon devils and she ended up summoning the Gremory. The Devils have already received a payment. It wasn't a big wish so they didn't mind doing it for free, but she insisted she would pay a price. The payment they received was a small scale Japanese castle. For some reason, Rias took a deep interest in it, and decided that they would keep it in the clubroom.

"Don't be scared. I'm with you, so walk with pride."

"...Sob…. Thank you…"

Rias cheered Susan on while she walked next to her. Asia asked Susan a question out of curiosity.

"...But isn't it heavy wearing that armor and walking?"

"There's no problem. Even if I look like this, I train while wearing this armor when I'm bored. Of course, it's only training inside my room. The Musha from long time ago ran around the battlefield wearing armor. Even I should be able to do that."

Throughout the interaction, Issei's deadpan expression returned.

"...Who exactly are you competing against, miss america?"

Though Issei said that sarcastically, Susan ended up responding.

"Hmm? No, I'm from France."

—Upon hearing that, Issei briefly stopped walking.

"...Eh, Ise-san?"

Asia looked back, noticing that Issei had stopped. But before anyone else could realize it, he was already walking again.

"...It's nothing, Asia.."

After a few minutes, they reached their destination.

"Ah. It's the University I go to…. See? It's got a scary atmosphere, doesn't it? Let's go inside. Aaaah, it's scary…"

After quickly retrieving Susan's notebook from within the University, the entire group returned to Susan's apartment.

Rias started to cast the magic equation connected to the magic circle in the clubroom, made for returning to the clubroom after confirming the job is completed.

"Okay. We will be going back now."

"Um…excuse me…."

Susan walks up to Rias shyly.

"…..It might be a bit rude….. If it isn't rude, there is one more wish I want to be fulfilled….."

Issei grimace at the idea that they would stay longer.

"Huh? What's up with you, woman? Don't be lettin' your greed get the best of you, that's how the Devils catch you in their traps—"

"—That's okay."

 _ **Slam!**_

As soon as Rias approved it, Issei slammed his head into a wall without hesitation. Asia comforted him while Susan spoke with the rest of the group.

"To tell you the truth…. I'm thinking of going forward to someone…. who goes to the same University as me….and tell him my feelings."

"Is that a challenge to that person? Going forward as in killing that person?"

"N…no!"

Because of Susan's over-the-top circumstances, Issei immediately assumed that she meant to challenge to a death battle, but that was wrong. Susan said it while shaking like a maiden.

"Umm...umm, there is a man that I like… I'm slow at these things, but I want to tell him my feelings….."

Rias gained a smile after hearing that and nodded.

"It's a wonderful wish. Okay. I will listen to your wish."

"You will? I'm glad! Devil-san are good people!"

Susan started to do a step dance after hearing Rias's answer. Issei's deadpan remained untouched as a result.

"So what are we supposed to do? Do you want us to organize a showy play? Or do you want us to get this person's heart by using demonic-power?"

"No, no! If it's possible I want to go out with him by telling my feelings….. But it's my first time at things like this….. I'm not sure where to start from."

In other words, she wants to win a man's heart by natural means, but since she doesn't know much about it, she's asking for assistance from the Devils. Issei respected that, at least.

"It would be the quickest if you confess your feelings directly."

Susan shook her head violently at Rias's suggestion.

"It's impossible for me! I'm too embarrassed!"

That was her response. Being the scaredy cat she is, it did seem implausible for someone like her to confess so directly. Especially if she was gonna probably end up doing it inside of the armor.

"Confessions, huh…"

Issei whispered to no one but himself. Only Asia who was standing beside him heard it. She looked up at his face curiously, wondering why he had such a vacant look in his eyes.

"...Ise-san?"

But he didn't hear her voice. The world around him slowly. And he was stuck with only the memories of an all too nostalgic past.

 _("It's Valentine's day! Écaille, let's go on a Valentine's date!")_

 _("Hell no, buzz off.")_

 _("Auntieeee! Issei doesn't want to go on a date with meeee!")_

 _("Ise-kuuuuun!")_

 _("Ah, god fucking dammit! Fine, let's go!")_

 _("Yay! Let's go!")_

During those moments of his reminiscence, his expression of emptiness shifted. It soon became an expression of sadness.

 _("Ooh, Écaille! Let's go to the aquarium next! It's always fun there!")_

 _("Ugh, will you stop clinging so close to me! It's annoying!")_

 _("Eeeeh, no way~ It's still cold at this time of year, I don't want to get sick.")_

 _("If it's cold, then why even come out! Why'd you even want to go on this stupid "date" anyway!")_

 _("Because~ it's the day of love! An entire day dedicated to Saint Valentine and the love that he inspired! Isn't it amazing? It's a French woman's dream! But you're more cranky than usual, Écaille. Is something bothering you?")_

 _("...You wanna know what's bothering me? What's bothering me is that Genesis is still fuckin' out there, doing who knows what, and we're here wasting our time on these stupid fuckin' "dates" of yours!")_

 _("...W-Well, it's true, but we all need to take breaks sometimes, Écaille… We can't be searching around the clock for them, you know?... Besides, you were okay whenever we took breaks before, so what's changed now?")_

 _("You wanna know what's changed?! What's changed is that I can't fucking sleep at night anymore! Every night, I hear and see all of the sick shit that's ever happened since those fuckers came around! It's driving me crazy! I can't relax anymore! I can't rest anymore! Meanwhile, you just wanna waste all of our fucking precious time, while they're out there probably doing worse shit!")_

 _("...I…. I have those nightmares sometimes too, Écaille…")_

 _("Oh yeah?! Do you hear the screaming voices of people begging you not to rip them apart?! Do you see guts spraying all over the grass and the trees next to you?! Do you feel their flesh tearing underneath your jaws like juicy rubber?! Do you taste their blood?! Do you feel the weight of their body parts in your belly?! Do you feel that?! Are those the nightmares you're having?!")_

 _("...É-Ecaille…. Let's just go home…. You aren't okay right now…")_

 _("You're damn right I'm not okay! I'm never okay! I'll never be okay! Not until I've killed those fuckers! Not until I've made them suffer for what I've been through! Not until they're completely eradicated! —Everyday, I suffer silently like this, itching for the chance to finally destroy those bastards! Meanwhile, here you are having fun and living your best life, leaving me to suffer all alone!")_

 _("...I…. I-I didn't…..")_

 _("Why do you even keep dragging me out to these stupid fuckin' "dates" anyway?! Isn't there someone else you can bother, like Maki?! Why do you have to drag me out here constantly?!")_

 _("...I just thought…since we're partners, it's fine if we spent time together…")_

 _("Yeah, we're partners! And that's where it fuckin' ends! So why don't you start acting like it?!")_

 _("...")_

 _("...Well, say something!")_

 _("...")_

 _("...Hey, where are you going?... Hey..!")_

As the seconds passed, Issei's saddened expression became all the more forlorn.

 _("Ise-kun, what did you say to Marie-chan?! She hasn't come out of that room ever since she got home!")_

 _("...Leave me alone, Baa-san…")_

 _("You said something mean to her, didn't you! You go up there and apologize right now, young man!")_

 _("I said leave me alone, didn't I?!")_

 _("...If you're willing to yell at me, then I guess that means something really serious happened, huh?..")_

 _("...")_

 _("...Do you really want to leave it like this, Ise-kun? Is this how you want it to be from now on?... Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you didn't have her anymore? What if she went back to her homeland, and you never got to see her again?... Is this how you would want to leave it be?... When that happens, could you live with yourself…..")_

 _("...")_

 _("...You're both still so young…. Don't make a mistake like this….. Trust me when I say, life is too short….. It's not worth it, Ise-kun….")_

—Life is too short. Issei's aunt could never have been more right…

 _("...Uh, fuck…. Um, Baa-san…. About what you said earlier….. Um, I wanna, ya know, say something, but…. I don't even know where to start….")_

 _("Well, then why not write write her a letter?")_

 _("A letter?... We live in the same house, isn't that just stupid?")_

 _("Can you say it directly?")_

 _("No way, not with how it is now…")_

 _("Then, write a letter. After all, it's Valentine's day, isn't it? A love letter would be perfect!")_

 _("A letter, huh….. What the hell do I even write on it?...")_

 _("Write what you feel.")_

Issei's sad expression gained an equally sad smile.

 _'...If only I had written everything I felt….'_

The memory of Issei's letter flashed through his mind. A messy, sloppily written letter with scribbles, ink blots, and scratched out words everywhere. Practically none of it was readable. Nothing, except for a few short words in the middle of the paper.

 _《...I'm sorry, partner….》_

….

...

"...Ise-san?"

—Issei returned to reality upon hearing Asia's quiet call.

From what it seemed, it looked almost as if not even a full minute had passed. Rias was still discussing the options with Susan on how to go about her confession as well.

"...Confession.."

For some reason, Issei spoke without thinking.

"...A letter."

He gained the attention of those around when he spoke. Turning to the group and Susan, he said it with an oddly serious expression.

"Write him a letter."

Rias nodded at Issei's suggestion.

"Yes, I think a love letter is also good. I think it's wonderful to show your feeling in a letter as well."

"I understand! I will write it!"

Susan went into a corner of the room and started to search for something. She then took something out. It was a calligraphy set. She got a blank page for the calligraphy and put it down. She then dipped the brush in the ink, preparing to write something on the paper. But then she stopped.

"..."

And her body started shaking.

"...Uuu, I don't know what to write…"

She sounded like she wanted to start crying again. Just before Rias herself could answer, Issei stepped forward and spoke with the uncharacteristically serious voice again.

"..Write what you feel."

"...W-What I feel?"

Issei answered while averting his gaze. There was a distant look in his eyes.

"Yeah…. Write what you feel when you're around him…. Write what you feel when you think of him…. Write everything that you feel…. Even if it's embarrassing or scary, write it anyway…. Don't hold anything back."

"B-But, what if he rejects me?..."

Issei answered by shaking his head.

"—Life is too short. It's better to regret saying something embarrassing than to regret never having the chance to say it. Because it might work out in the end. But if you don't try, then you'll never know. So don't be afraid. It's not worth it."

Though she was still afraid, with that encouragement from Issei, Susan was able to steel herself enough to write the letter.

"Ah, and also, write it using normal pen and paper. Put that calligraphy shit away."

"Eeeeh?!"

* * *

A few days have passed since Issei, Asia, and the Gremory group visited the armored woman known as Susan.

Today, that whole group has gathered back together again in a random park. In front of them, is a base. There are various flags with a certain symbol on it everywhere. And at the centre of it, there is an armored Musha sitting on a chair. It's obviously that same girl, Susan.

With the help of Rias a few days ago, she finished writing her love-letter safely and safely delivered it to the person she likes. It's unknown how she gave the letter, but she successfully gave her letter. And that person is coming to the park today to give Susan a reply to her confession.

At first, when Asia was contacted by Rias that Susan would be receiving her confession reply today, Asia was certain that it was going to take some convincing for Issei to some along with her. And if not, then he would most definitely be reluctant about it.

But, she was surprised to see that somehow wasn't the case. Instead, when she informed him that they reply would be taking place today, he just replied with: "I see…. So what time is it?"

Asia never expected him to come along so unhesitantly. He didn't even complain about it. He was quiet, even up to this point. And now, he just stood on the sidelines with the rest of the group, with a rarely seen serious expression on his face.

Susan, on other hand, is shaking a bit while wearing armor. She seems nervous, but it looks creepy. A bizarre sight for any bystanders witness to it.

"Looks like he's here."

When the group looked in the same direction as Rias, there was a figure in the distance, gradually getting closer.

 _ **GASHAN, GASHAN.**_

The sound of metal colliding.

The one who appeared from far away— is a person wearing western armor. A knight's armor. He held a cone shaped lance in his right hand and a shield on the left. His head is covered with a helm that also covers his whole face so his face cannot be seen.

Just like with Susan, it ended up being another culturally fanatical person.

"Aaah, it's amazing. It's a collaboration of a Musha and a Knight."

"Mm, it's a splendid armor."

Rias said it with some sort of wonderment in her eyes while Kiba admired the knight's armor. If one was to look carefully, an arrow could be seen piercing the helm of the knight.

"...W-Why is there an arrow in his head?"

"Yes. I thought about it a lot... and the only method I had, to give the letter, was by using the arrow."

Susan said that to Asia as if it was natural. Asia would've expected to react outwardly in some way by this point, but he did no such thing. For some reason, he simply continued observing silently.

—Then, finally the knight gets closer to Susan. He came into Susan's base while making sounds of metal colliding. No matter how you look at it, it looks like a battle.

The Knight stands in front of Susan. Susan also stood from her place. There was an abnormal atmosphere around them. The knight then pierces the ground with his lance violently and brings something out. It's a letter.

"…This letter. I have read it…"

"Yes…"

Susan's body was shaking nervously.

"…It was a wonderful arrow-letter. For me to let my guard down and get shot…. It was a good arrow-letter…."

"I…I was just thinking about shooting the bow….Horie-kun."

And so, the arrow-head knight was revealed to be called "Horie-kun".

"If it's me, I would be glad to go out with you…"

—But luckily for Susan, she ended up receiving the answer she was hoping for.

"Ho….Horie-kun….. Sob….. I'm glad….sob..."

Susan had a tearful voice. It was difficult to tell because she was wearing a helm, but it certainly sounded like she was crying.

"Susan….."

The western knight, Horie-kun, hugs Susan gently. They are hugging each other while wearing their armour so it's possible to hear the sounds of metal colliding. It was an especially bizarre scene, as innocent as it really was.

"Let's talk about [The Book of Five Rings] you wrote about in this letter."

"Yes. I wanted to talk about Miyamato Musashi's Niten Ichi-ryuu with you Horie-kun…"

The Musha and the Knight then took each other's hand and walked away.

"Thank you very much!"

Susan waves her hand at the whole group. The group responded with smiles and applause. In the end, it was so considered a "happy ending of sorts".

"Hmm?"

In the midst of all their clapping, Rias's attention was attracted to the one person among them who was not clapping. Issei, who stood with one hand in his pocket, and the other caressing the cross around his neck, whispered it to himself quietly.

"Confession, huh…."

—There was a small but noticeable smile on his face.

* * *

"Alright, good work, everyone. Job well done."

Rias said it when the group returned to the clubroom. Issei and Asia grabbed their belongings and prepared themselves to leave.

"Ise, Asia, thank you for joining us on this little adventure. I hope that it was as much of an enjoyable experience for you as it was for me."

Asia replied happily with a smile.

"Yes! Thank you very much for taking us! It was a fun experience to watch love flourish!"

Rias then turned to Issei, who was still packing his things without paying them any mind.

"I also hope that you enjoyed it. Or at least, I hope you didn't dread it enough to never want to return again, Ise."

"Mhmm, whatever…"

Issei answered disinterestedly while still continuing to ready himself to leave. Rias raised a brow at his response.

She was expecting more along the lines of: "Shut up, Devil", or, "If I had the choice, I wouldn't return again, shitty Devil". But that's not what she got. Instead, she received a much more reserved answer that it made it seem like he was lost in his own little world.

Rias then decided to ask the question that had been sitting in the back of her mind for a few days.

"Say, Ise. I have a question."

"..What?"

"Have you ever been in love?"

—Issei froze. His body was still and quiet for a moment.

Including the silent world around him, there was only one sound that invaded Issei's mind.

 _("...Écaille…..")_

….

….

"Heh…"

Issei turned back to face Rias.

—There was no emotion in his face.

"No."

Saying just that, he turned his back again and promptly made his way to the door.

"Let's go, Asia."

"Ah, y-yes!"

And just like that, they exited the room.

 _ **Dakun!**_

Rias leaned back against her desk with an intrigued expression.

"...I think I may have just realized something."

"Hmm, what is that, Buchou?"

Rias said it while crossing her arms.

"...That might be first time he's ever blatantly lied to me."

* * *

Issei's apology letter to Marie Bellerose said only one thing.

 _《I'm sorry, partner.》_

And though the apology clearly went through, considering that things got better after that— in fact, it could even be argued that the relationship between the two teenagers had become stronger after that— even despite that, that memory was still one of the few events that haunted Issei's life. Even though it turned out alright. Why?

Well, perhaps it was because the only thing that Issei wrote on that letter— one day turned out to be Marie's last words to him.

 _《I'm sorry, partner.》_

(In unintelligible, scribbled out writing below it.)

 _《I love you.》_

* * *

 **END**

 **Alrighty, that's all for that one! Damn, this one was a little longer than I expected. Not too unusually long, but for a chapter without action, it's quite long.**

 **Anyway, as I said in the beginning, this chapter was mainly focused around characters and stuff. A LOT of development took place between various characters. And also, surprisingly, there were actually instances of comedy as well. But as for the development, I think the one that is the most interesting and impactful is Raynare's. There's a few stories where I've seen her being kept alive and somehow forced to be alongside of Issei, but it always sucked in those stories. It never felt natural, it always felt artificial and improbable. When I thought about doing this, I wanted to do it in a way that actually made sense, and Asia was the perfect vehicle for that. I was lucky that, thanks to her character, it was actually possible. And thus, it happened. There's still a lot more development to be had concerning her, but for right now, that's it. It's a long and gradual change, it wouldn't make sense for her to be comfortable so easily, take notes, guys. And if you're wondering about the other Fallen-Angels, don't worry, there will be a time for them as well.**

 **Other than that, just some stuff with the Gremory. I think it's been made pretty clear that Asia is Issei's crutch towards certain things. Out of basically everyone else around, she's the only one with a semblance of control over him. Also, Rias and Issei's dynamic is constantly changing. It clearly changed again, considering that Rias is now accustomed enough to Issei's rudeness to banter back and forth with him. That may also be on account of Asia being present now though. I wonder if his dynamic with the rest of the Devils will change or not.**

 **—And finally, the heartbreaking connection is finally revealed. The only thing that Issei wrote to Marie on his Valentine's day letter to her. It was also the very last thing she said to him. Was it just cruel irony? They never had the chance to say what they really felt to each other. Issei never said it due to fear of the unknown result. And Marie never said it because of the fear that he would have to live on knowing the painful truth. That's right. Just like in Issei's letter, Marie didn't say anything more than an apology to him. But she and Issei both meant the same thing when they said they were sorry. That is—"I love you."**

 **Life is too short.**

 **Lol, now that death scene is 10x sadder than before, suffer.**

 **So, tell me what you guys thought about this chapter.**

 **Did you enjoy the little humorous bits here and there? Were you expecting Raynare to come back so soon? Were you expecting Issei to spare her on Asia's behalf? What did you think about Raynare's current development? What do you think of the dynamic between Issei and the ORC, mainly Rias? What do you think about the development? Is this sad nigga hours again?**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy.**

 **Stay frosty.**


	16. Chapter 16: I Hate You

**Okay, next one. Man, I was really on that LDE grind for a little bit. What can I say, I have a lot of inspiration for this story. Out of all my stories, I'm most motivated to update this one. I'm heavily invested in it. Too bad I'm writing a book that's taking all of my free time.**

 **Anyway, wanted to go ahead and address some non-criticisms here that I saw. Usually, I only respond privately to these sorts of things, unless: It's something that can influence others into wrongly thinking the same thing** — **or** — **3 or more people have said it. In this case, it's both. Which means that it might be something a few readers think about this story, which would be okay, if it wasn't for the fact that it's just 'incorrect' or 'wrong'.**

 **So basically, the non-criticism is: ["This story got worse because Issei is now a crazy, unlikable asshole."] Now, some of you might be asking what makes this not a criticism, and that would be this: **

**First, duh, no shit. Of course Issei is a crazy, unlikable asshole. Have you forgotten what he's been through? All of the development of his character up to this point is a logical progression through circumstance. Issei suffers and grows darker because of it. You're not supposed to necessarily like that (though you can). You're just supposed to understand it, and/or, be sympathetic towards it. Don't act like he got worse out of nowhere, lol.**

 **The intrigue with Issei's character is whether he can change from this point he has reached, which is the worst he has ever been. He's nuts, he takes no more shit, he's almost blindly prejudice against the supernatural, and he has almost nothing left to lose.**

 **That's precisely why Asia has become a pillar to him. So that maybe he can change his ways and return to how he was when Marie was around? You know, Marie, the one person who was helping him change as a person when he was also a little psycho in the past? (I mean, come on guys, I thought I made this whole parallel super obvious. I expected more from some of you.)**

 **And also, to imply that Issei somehow has changed in an "unnatural" way because of how dickish he is now, that's just wrong. Before Kuoh, Issei wasn't interacting with the supernatural world as much as he is now. Now, he literally speaks to the Devils associated with his parents' deaths DAILY. Of course he seems more dark and terrible because now that's what's being presented. He was always unstable and dickish, he just had Marie around to regulate him. And after he lost her, whoops, looks like he's even more unhinged now because obviously he has nothing more to lose. But guess what, now there's Asia. So what does that mean for his character? (Plus, again, Issei was not talking to Devils and Fallen-Angels everyday when he was younger, so you just didn't get to see his asshole side all the time like now.)**

 **But yeah, the balance between Issei's good side and bad side seems skewed now because of the circumstances, but really only if you ignore his treatment of other humans (seriously, did y'all just intentionally forget how polite he is to normal students and people or?). There's more bad of him than good being seen lately because he has way more chances to show it, thanks to all of these supernatural bastards, AND Marie is dead.** **But now, Asia is here. So maybe, that changes? That's the interesting part. But I guess that just went over a couple of your guys' heads. No big deal, because you'll still get what you want anyway. My only advice is just be a little more patient and attentive next time.**

 **Honestly tho, the fact that I got this non-criticism thrown at me on the EXACT two chapters that Issei's character starts developing again is just pure irony lol. Oh well, most of you guys got the point, so it's nothing big. No hard feelings. I'm fine with everybody having their opinions, I just wanted to make sure that nobody else got influenced by arguments that were literally wrong, lol. Opinions are fine, but opinions that are formed through blatantly incorrect interpretations aren't constructive, and I don't want some impressionable people being fooled into thinking that it is. **

**Remember, it's okay not to like anything, but if you're gonna dislike it because of a reason that is illogical, then don't expect people to take it seriously. No offense.**

 **Anyway, this chapter's gonna have a** **bit of a time skip coming up. Remember, this part of the story takes place some time before canon does, I said that in the chapter that Issei returned home. Because in canon, Issei becomes a Devil somewhere around a month or two into his second year. But in this story, I decided to have him return to Kuoh right around where school starts, meaning that this part has been taking place around a month and a half before canon. But, now, we will be quickly catching up. So, this is kind of like a catch up chapter. The timeskip doesn't happen until like midway through the chapter though.**

 **You'll see.**

* * *

 **SCENE**

….

….

"Iseeeeee~! Breakfast is ready! It's your favorite!"

A boy came running down from the stairs of his home. He bolted into the kitchen with a wide smile, subsequently being greeted by his parents, and an abundance of his favorite foods.

" "Happy birthday, Ise!" "

"Yaaay! Oppai!"

The two smiling parents turned into stone as their son quickly hopped into his seat and began eating his breakfast. Mrs. Hyoudou turned to her husband with anger.

"What did I say?! I told you that wicked old man was teaching him bad things!"

"W-Well, how was I supposed to know? It looked innocent enough, I couldn't see the photos he was showing him in the distance!"

—"Can I go to the arcade today?"

"Yes, Ise, we can do whatever you want today. Let me and your mum talk for a moment."

"There's a reason all of the other mothers around the park would avoid letting their children spend time with him! Oh no, our child is going to become a good-for-nothing adult! We're never having grandchildren, the Hyoudou house is doomed!"

"D-Don't say that, Kaa-san! I'm sure he'll be able to find a good girl! So long as we play our cards right and don't allow him to build some sort of notorious reputation, he can fool some nice girl into getting married with him! And then maybe we'll have a nice grandchild to take care of! A beautiful baby grandson!"

"Granddaughter."

"Eh?"

—"Can I go to the park to see Oji-san today?"

" "Absolutely not!" "

It was a house filled with sunshine.

….

….

….

….

"...Kaa-chan?"

The boy called out for his mother in a confused voice, covered in darkness.

….But she did not respond.

After all….

 _He was speaking to nothing but a severed hand sitting on the ground._

 _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!**_

* * *

"HAAA..!"

Issei woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air.

He had a night terror, as usual.

The only problem was that this night terror, was not the usual one.

"...Haah."

He sat up with an exasperated sigh, having become accustomed to the event.

But not the dream itself. He knew that the dream held a greater subconscious meaning for him. It was symbolic of something.

—Issei lowered his head in a somber manner.

The symbolism was clear to him…. It was a reminder…. A reminder that the anniversary of a certain event was soon approaching…

His birthday was coming up in a couple of months. So it wasn't too bizarre that he would have a dream regarding his birthday. More importantly to him, Maki's birthday was coming up in only a couple weeks. Perhaps his mind mixed those two events up in the timeline?

….But that wasn't it…. That wasn't what the dream was about….. It wasn't at all about birthdays…. Rather, it was a reminder to the event that preceded both his and Maki's birthday.

The event that was upcoming in only a few days.

The event that changed his entire life.

One of the only few days in his life that mattered.

That was….

 _ **Knock, knock.**_

"Ise-san, are you awake?"

A knocking was heard on the door, and Asia's voice came from behind it. Usually, Issei would answer her very casually, acknowledging that he was awake. But, for some reason, this time, Asia received no answer.

"Um… I'm coming in."

Asia entered the dark room, surprised to see that Issei was indeed awake. His figure was visibly sitting up, thanks to the slit of light peeking through his curtains. It was unusual for him to ignore her calls.

"Ise-san? Is something the matter?"

Unsure of herself, Asia inquired Issei worriedly.

But he did not answer. Instead, his head remained cast downward, almost as if to avoid eye contact with Asia.

The room was left in an unbearably uncomfortable silence.

"...Um, Ise-san..?"

Asia creeped towards Issei in what seemed like a cautious manner, slowly bringing her hand up to place on his shoulder.

But only a moment before she made contact with him, Issei spoke.

"Asia.."

"Eh?! —A-Ah, yes?…"

His voice came out in a deep, low tone.

"..For the next few days, you will be attending school and club alone. I won't be accompanying you."

"Eh?"

Asia didn't understand Issei's declaration at first, so she questioned it.

"Alone?... Ise-san is not going to school right now?"

"..Yes, that's right… You'll be going alone for now. I won't be with you for the following days."

Considering that Issei was such an attentive and punctual student, it was surprising for him to be saying these things. His attitude left Asia feeling perplexed.

"..I don't understand. Why is Ise-san skipping school now? Has something happened?"

Issei remained quiet for a moment before answering.

"….No. It's nothing. You don't need to worry yourself with it. Just do as I say."

[Do as I say], he said. It was rare for Issei to burden Asia with anything akin to orders or commands. Issei would always allow Asia to freely make her own decisions, even to his dismay. Whatever she did, it was always up to her. Yet, now, it seemed different. It was a mandatory request.

"U-Um…. Well, if Ise-san is staying home… T-Then, I should also.."

Before Asia could finish her suggestion, Issei interrupted her.

"No… You will go to school. You won't be absent from it because of me. You have plans with friends to go out this week, don't you? You should be making sure to go to school and reconvene with those people."

"But… If Ise-san is…"

"Asia…."

Issei finally lifted his head up to Asia, with a kind, half-smile present on his face.

"—I won't have you missing out on a happy life on my account, Asia."

But Asia's expression became sad at his words.

"B-But, why..?"

Issei quickly lost his smile, but he lowered his head again to avoid displaying that.

"...Because a very important day is going to be approaching soon."

"...An important day? W-What important day is that?"

Issei was silent for the rest of that interaction. And unbeknownst to Asia, there was a dark expression on his face.

 _...The day of his parents' deaths._

* * *

 **Part 1**

In another room of the home, Asia's room, Raynare was sitting on a futon she had slept in, on the floor. Her eyes were dead like a fish's, her expression was devoid of emotion, and her face had little color in it.

In every way, she appeared to be dead inside.

"—Raynare."

But in the moment a familiar voice came from beyond the doorway, a fragment of life was struck in her eyes. Perhaps it was fear.

As suspected, the one who entered was Issei, essentially the person who had become her 'owner', as she was nothing more than but a 'dog on a leash'.

Raynare, seemingly no longer having any regard for something like personal dignity, did not hesitate to prostrate herself before him, presenting him the most respectful version of a bow. The dogeza.

"...Yes, Sekiryuutei-sama.."

"Lift your head."

Raynare removed her forehead from the floor, but she did not raise her head to meet Issei's gaze, only continuing to look downwards.

"Raynare. From today, until the end of the week, you will follow and observe Asia on her way to and from school."

"..!"

Raynare was internally shocked by his request, but she did not question it, nor did she express her confusion.

"When Asia arrives at school, you will observe her from afar, by whatever means possible. You will simply observe. You will not interfere with her school life or otherwise. You are only meant to keep a watchful eye on her. Should any suspicious figures appear around her, remove them, or her, from the immediate area. If they are humans bothering her, just escort them away from her presence. If they are another sort of being, like a stray, get rid of it some other way. I don't care if you kill it. But if it's too much, then just retreat, or buy Asia time to escape. So long as Asia makes it home safely, by any means necessary. If something happens to her, or you ever happen to return without her, I will kill you without hesitation. Understood?"

Unlike all of the other times Issei would speak down to Raynare, he was now speaking with an absence of hostility. There was no anger or threatening tone. It was simply clear cut, no nonsense instead. Though it wasn't necessarily uncharacteristic of him, it seemed very odd that he wasn't threatening her more fervently, especially when it came to Asia.

Moreover, when Raynare took a glance up with her eyes at him…

—His eyes were almost just as dead as her own.

But she lowered her eyes just as quickly as she raised them, hoping to avoid eye contact before he ever noticed.

And so, Raynare nodded her head, easily accepting Issei's demands.

"...Yes, Sekiryuutei-sama."

"..Good. You may leave when Asia does."

"...Understood."

With that confirmation, Issei made his way to leave the room.

But for some reason, Raynare felt so compelled by her curiosity to question Issei in one regard.

"...If I may, Sekiryuutei-sama?"

She spoke out in a small voice, as not to possibly agitate him. Issei stopped in his tracks and responded promptly.

"...What is it?"

"...What exactly will you be doing?"

Issei was silent for a moment. Raynare instinctively lowered her head until her forehead pressed against the floor, as a precautionary measure.

Soon enough, Issei answered her question in an almost somber tone.

"..Nothing…. Only…visiting."

"..?"

Before Raynare could confirm to herself what she had heard, Issei was already gone from the room.

* * *

"Um… I will be going then.."

Asia gave her goodbye to Issei at the door after opening it. Issei, who stood a bit behind her, simply responded with a wave.

"Yeah, have a safe trip."

And even Asia could tell that there was a "deadness" in his eyes.

But, not being able to do anything about it, she regretfully turned to walk away.

"Yes.."

After shutting the door behind her, Asia walked off to school, leaving Issei alone in the house.

Issei stood still and silently near the doorway.

Alone, in a dark house, devoid of light.

A few seconds pass, and finally, his head lowers, and his expression becomes like one of a child's sorrow.

—In the outside world filled with light, Asia continued her walk to the academy. It was the first time she'd walked alone to school. She had always been accompanied by Issei up to this point. It was obvious that they would walk to school together, since they live under the same roof.

More than that, she accompanied Issei wherever he went anyway. Even to the store and other places, they would always go together, since Issei refused to let Asia be alone. Not that Asia minded that, actually, she preferred it that way. She felt most comfortable and safe when she was with Issei. Practically ever since she even came to this town, Issei has been with her. At this point, the amount of time she spent out of his presence in Japan, has already been surpassed by the amount of time she spends accompanied by him.

This time was the exception.

Now she was alone. And it was for reasons she didn't fully understand, if at all. So, to say that she was feeling slightly worried, or lonely, was a bit of an understatement.

Yet despite feeling lonely, and realizing that no one else was around her, she somehow didn't feel 'alone'...

"Eh?"

Asia halted in her step when she felt like there were a pair of eyes on her from somewhere. She couldn't shake this feeling. Was it paranoia? Or maybe she was just uneasy because Issei wasn't around?

She called out while looking in random directions.

"...Um… Is someone there?..."

To her surprise, someone really did appear from out of nowhere. A figure emerged from behind a corner not too far behind Asia. It was Raynare.

"...I'm surprised you knew I was there… You're more perceptive than you look, Asia-san.. It must be because you're a Sacred Gear possessor.."

"Raynare-san! Why are you following me?.."

"I was ordered to."

Asia understood the situation clearly when Raynare said that.

Despite that, Asia, unexpectedly, smiled at the realization.

"I see. As I thought, Ise-san is still worried about me after all."

Raynare found herself with a curious interest to Asia's reaction.

 _'So rather than feel uneasy about being spied on, she is just happy that someone has her in mind… A purely innocent reaction… As I thought, I'm not fit to be around this type of person..'_

"Raynare-san?"

Asia interrupted Raynare's train of thought with a call.

"What is it, Asia-san?"

"Well, um…"

Asia requested it while twiddling her fingers.

"..Would you mind following me on foot? I would feel more comfortable if you walked with me instead… If you want.."

Raynare was then reminded of Issei's words to her.

 _("You will not interfere with her school life or otherwise. You are only meant to keep a watchful eye on her.")_

Raynare lowered her head, with her dead fish like eyes becoming even dimmer than before.

 _'…I wonder if he would kill me for doing something like that?... Actually, does it even matter anymore?..'_

Despite all of her fear of mortality from the previous nights, she didn't feel so petrified at the idea of it now, for some reason.

 _'...Why am I even considering it?... I'm not the type who would risk my life just to make somebody feel comfortable… Who cares if she feels better that way…? Well, then again, it's not like she'll tattle about that to the Sekiryuutei, will she?… So what does it even matter?… But still, I was never the type to just...'_

And yet, against her rational mind's viewpoint, she was unexpectedly being paid visit to by what she felt was an unnecessary memory.

 _("Bathing her would only allow her a sense of dignity, which I don't care for.")_

 _("B-But, Raynare-san is a girl just like me, so she should be able to be clean too, Ise-san..! Otherwise, it's just too cruel!")_

Raynare's gaze remained on the floor, and she clicked her tongue, whispering something under her breath.

"...What a stupid memory…"

"Eh? Raynare-san?"

Asia's call went unanswered, and the two were left in a long silence.

…..

It wasn't broken until Raynare's body suddenly began transforming in front of Asia.

"Uwa..!"

Asia was caught off guard by the sudden transformation. Raynare, who was now wearing the uniform of an academy that didn't exist, said it with an emotionless face.

"..Very well. Let's go, Asia-san."

And only piquing Raynare's curiosity even further, Asia's expression brightened up significantly.

"Okay..!"

With that, Raynare followed Asia to Kuoh as if she was just another random student. Despite Asia's suggestions, Raynare still remained a few steps behind Asia, instead of directly beside her.

There weren't many students that they encountered or saw on the way to the academy. It was quite unpopulated in the suburbs. Or at least, it appeared that way, perhaps because of the path the two took.

The only students they did encounter along the way ended up greeting Asia very casually. Most of them being girls, but there were a few boys too. More boys than usual, it seems. Perhaps it was due to the fact that there wasn't an intimidating giant next to Asia today.

Once Raynare and Asia reached the academy gates, there were plenty of students strolling in, as per usual. Raynare, who recognized that she couldn't blend in as a student, halted at the front gate, prompting Asia to stop as well.

"Raynare-san? What's wrong?"

"..It's as clear as day that I don't belong here, Asia-san. My job was only to watch you from a distance anyway… That's why I will be separating here."

Raynare turned to leave before being stopped by Asia's voice.

"W-Wait, but..!"

Raynare turned her head back, prompting the usually shy Asia to avert her gaze.

"...That's right.. Raynare-san does not attend here…. I suppose there's nothing that can be done.."

Raynare couldn't help but find it interesting, the fact that Asia was sad about Raynare being unable to accompany her. Despite the fact that she was planning to murder her only a week ago… Truly, in her eyes, this girl was an anomaly.

"Well, at the very least, Raynare-san will be waiting for me outside after school.. Right?"

Raynare remained silent for a moment, only quietly analyzing Asia's expression before answering.

"...Yes. That is my 'assignment' after all."

Asia's downtrodden expression quickly turned into one of happiness instead.

"I see! I'm glad. I-In that case, I will see you after school, Raynare-san..!"

Raynare turned her gaze away from Asia, facing forward again.

"...Yeah."

Asia walked away after acknowledging that, finally separating from Raynare, leaving her to think on her own. Raynare ignored the comments of the passing students wondering who the "random beauty" was, only thinking to herself.

She glanced at the passing female students entering the school grounds.

 _'...I suppose it would be simple to replicate those uniforms… Infiltrating would probably be a breeze too…'_

Before her unwarranted thoughts could tread any further, Raynare shook her head.

 _'...No, what am I, stupid?.. I have no reason to do that… I'm only supposed to observe from a distance… Wouldn't being so close just be disobeying? And why would I care to do that anyway?... Besides, those Devils are in there anyway.. They'd probably kill me if they saw me..'_

Raynare happened to overhear a conversation as she thought to herself.

"Whoa, who's that bishoujo?"

"Don't know, but she doesn't go here."

"Should I talk to her?"

"No way, you'd think she'd talk to a guy like you? Besides, if she's not a student here, then we'll never get to see her again anyway so what's the point? More importantly, check it out! Asia-chan is all alone today!"

"Whoa, no way! Every day she's always being accompanied by that big dude! Yo, we should take this chance to go talk to her! She might be a babe, but she's way nicer than any other bimbo in this school! She'll definitely give us a chance if we—!"

—The boys conversation was cut off when they both felt chills run up their spines.

"W-What the hell, I just got the chills.."

"Y-Yeah, same here.."

They instinctively turned back, only to see Raynare looking over her shoulder at them with a deadly glare.

"W-What the hell..? Why's she glaring at us like that?"

"..I don't know, man… Let's just go to class.."

"…Y-Yeah."

After a short while, all of Kuoh academy's students seemingly entered the school, leaving Raynare standing outside of the gates by herself.

"Hmph… Well, who cares.."

Without anyone noticing, Raynare transformed herself and discreetly made her way around the academy to gain a vantage point on Asia's location in her classroom. And after acquiring a spot, she fulfilled her duty of secretly observing Asia for the rest of the day.

* * *

 **Part 2**

 _ **Day 1**_

Hyoudou Issei. 10 years ago, he lost his family to a terrible tragedy. A tragedy that changed his life forever. Everyday, he is haunted. Haunted by nightmares, thoughts, and ideas of what he could've done to possibly save them that day. And whenever he is confronted by those possibilities, he is even more so haunted by 'those' words.

Those accursed words which his mind constantly played on repeat, in the most brutal of times, reminding him of his weakness. His uselessness. Reminding him of his failure, even as an almost full grown man.

 _([You are merely but a boy. There is nothing you can do.])_

Perhaps the amount of time in which he spends on a day to day basis, thinking about how he could've saved his parents, has decreased in the past few years. But even so, there is never a day in which he doesn't think of them. There is never a day when he "forgets" that his parents are gone. Not even a moment. Even in the happiest of moments.

On the contrary, it is when he is happiest that he remembers them most. Because he can only recognize his happiness as a selfish happiness that only he can indulge in, and his parents can never experience alongside of him.

They cannot laugh with him at people's jokes. They cannot cry with him in moments of sorrow. They cannot cheer with him in moments of triumph. They cannot express their frustrations with him in moments of irritation.

They cannot spend time with their only son.

They cannot do anything anymore.

And it's all because he couldn't save them.

The fault lies on no one else but him.

….Well, him, and…

[Ah, this place is..]

"Yeah…"

Issei responded out loud to Ddraig, considering that no one was around to hear it. The place that he had walked to was familiar. A spot he used to spend most of his time in, playing as a child. This place was..

"It's the park.."

[Mm, I do have vague interpretations of this place within my conscious. They must be fragments of your own memories.]

"You can see my memories?"

[Not exactly. Rather than seeing, I can observe them in retrospect, but only vaguely. Like experiencing a memory within a dream. Perhaps because it was close to the time of my awakening.]

"I see… Can you remember anything specific?"

[Not much. I would say that the most peculiar thing I recall experiencing was a feeling. An extension of your feelings. You were feeling paranoid. You were afraid of something. I was stirred in my slumber as a result of it being something supernatural, and powerful. I remember my subconscious response being to communicate the suggestion of fleeing from a threat. Though I suppose that felt instinctive to you.]

For some reason, Issei laughed.

"Haha. So that 'feeling', all those years ago, that was you, huh?.. No wonder I kept feeling like I was fighting with another part of myself before you awoke. I actually was."

[Hoh? Was there a moment when you disregarded one of these 'vague suggestions' of mine?]

"Yeah… Before I went into Haruka's house, that little girl that I saved… I felt like something inside me was telling me to turn away and run. 'Don't go inside'... But, I also felt like the reason I was being told that, was because inside was dangerous. And that made me think, 'what if there's somebody inside who is in danger? Would it be okay to just walk away then?'... And as it turned out, just like I thought, little Haruka was in there… And so was the Nightwalker… If I had left her in there, she probably wouldn't be here today… And maybe her family wouldn't either, since I made the Nightwalker chase me, and led it away from them… In the end, as a result of my actions, I was able to…"save" her family. I was able to prevent their deaths.."

Issei went silent, before promptly walking over to a swing set and sitting on one of the swings. His body hardly fit in it.

"...Except.."

Issei's memory of his first encounter with the Nightwalker replayed in his head. Most specifically, that one moment…

—The moment the Nightwalker stepped into the kitchen, with a woman's severed head in its leathery claws.

"...The only one I wasn't able to save… Haruka's mother… Only she died to that beast… And that was something that I couldn't prevent…"

[You make it sound as if it's your own fault, partner.]

To Ddraig's comment, Issei did not respond.

The silence of the world was only broken by the subtle sounds of metal creaking.

 _ **Rrr..**_

The swing creaked as Issei swung slightly, back and forth, in silence.

In his mind, the only sound he heard was the sound of the memories playing in his head.

 _("More, Otou-san! Push me higher!")_

And before his very eyes, his legs shrank, and his body became so much smaller.

 _("H-Hold on, Ise.. Tou-san's arms are getting tired..")_

 _("No fair! Yesterday, Okaa-san was pushing me higher for way longer than you!")_

 _("E-Eh? Seriously?!... Alriiight then! Get ready, Ise! Tou-san is gonna push you with all his might!")_

 _("Yaaay!")_

….

….

And surely enough, the swing came to a stop.

After all, there was no one pushing it.

….

Just as quietly as he arrived, Issei disappeared from the playground, leaving the swing completely still and empty.

* * *

 _ **Day 2**_

It was another day that Issei wouldn't be attending school. His second day of mourning. And, as much as it bothered her, Asia could do nothing but accept it.

"I'll be heading off then, Ise-san."

Asia announced it right before she exited the house. This time, Issei did not walk her out. She merely received an answer from beyond the hall, where she could not see him.

"...Yeah."

And that was all he said.

"...Okay."

With that, the dejected Asia walked out of the house and shut the door behind her. She didn't happen to notice Raynare, who was standing beside the doorway, already waiting for her outside.

Raynare was already dressed in her disguise. It seemed like she was prepared to leave with Asia this time.

But, for some reason, Raynare remained leaned up against the wall without calling out to Asia. She just stared at Asia's back silently.

...And without being able to realize it, she couldn't take her eyes off of Asia's slumped shoulders. Her shoulders, which expressed just how lonely the girl felt.

….

"...Asia."

"Eh?"

Asia turned while subtly wiping a tear away from one of her eyes. When she turned, she caught sight of Raynare, wearing her academy's uniform.

"..Ah, Raynare-san!... Eh? That thing your wearing is.."

Without Asia realizing her swift change, Raynare disguised herself in the Kuoh academy's uniform instead of the fake.

"...It's the uniform of your school. Pretty convincing, isn't it?"

"B-But, why are you wearing that? I thought that you couldn't go into the academy..?"

Raynare responded with an unbothered attitude.

"Well, I think it should be fine. As long as I'm just walking you to and from class, and hiding in a tree afterwards, there shouldn't be any problems. After all, I don't actually 'attend' there, so I can't enter class with you. But as long as I get out before then, it should alright… I think."

Raynare explained as simply as she could. Though, her mind was preoccupied with conflicted thoughts.

 _'...What am I even doing?... Is this me trying to cheer her up?... Why the hell would I even be stupid enough to care..?'_

While Raynare was thinking to herself, Asia wiped away another subtle tear.

"…Thank you, Raynare-san.."

Asia's words interrupted Raynare's thoughts, bringing her back down to reality. Only for Raynare to find that Asia was smiling brightly at her.

"I feel much better now..!"

Raynare's response to Asia was silence, but the response to herself was..

 _'..Well, whatever..'_

"...Let's go, Asia."

"Yes!"

The two set off for the academy, as they would expect would become the usual. Once they made it there, the students of Kuoh did not hesitate to gossip about the person who appeared to be a new transfer student.

"Whoa, a new transfer student?! I didn't hear about it! Not to mention, she's a freaking hottie! First, Asia-chan, then this babe?!" —"Two transfer students in one month, hell yes!"

"Hey, isn't that the hot girl from yesterday?" — " Oh yeah, it is! Who would've thought she was gonna transfer here. No wonder she was scoping out the place!"

"What a pretty girl! Do you think she'll be our friend like Asia?"

While Raynare's appearance was starting a commotion, there was a certain group of individuals that happened to catch notice of her and Asia. Most specifically, two individuals.

"Eh, what's wrong, Raynare-san?"

Asia stopped walking when she noticed that Raynare had halted in her tracks. Raynare had an 'unfriendly' expression on her face, perfectly capturing how quickly she went on guard. When Asia followed the direction of Raynare's gaze in front of her, she caught sight of the two individuals ahead of them as well.

Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima.

"...R-Rias-san.."

The two Devils approached Asia and Raynare with "friendly" smiles.

"Good morning, Asia."

"..G-Good morning.."

After briefly greeting Asia, Rias turned her full attention to Raynare, while maintaining her paper smile.

"Hello, you must be new here. I hadn't received word that a transfer student was coming. Are you a friend of Asia's?"

Raynare did not answer Rias's question, she merely kept her cold gaze locked onto the Devil.

"..Well, any friend of Asia is a friend of ours. Speaking of which, Asia, we also have also have club in the mornings, remember? This morning's club is about to start… Would your friend like to join us?"

"..N-No, well, Raynare-san is.."

"Oh please, Asia. I insist."

If any bystanders were more spiritually aware than the average student, then they would certainly feel the tension between the two duos rise.

Raynare glanced at her surroundings, quickly realizing that the Devil group's other two members were also not too far away. Both of which were staring at Raynare as well.

Feeling threatened by the situation, but not so threatened that she was necessarily afraid for herself, Raynare spared no hesitation in heightening the tension for both sides.

"...If you cause us trouble, the Sekiryuutei might kill you."

 **[—?!]**

The Devils, and even Asia, were shocked by Raynare's nonchalant declaration. She had said it loud enough that any nearby student could hear it.

"What's 'Sekiryuutei', a video game character?" — " Isn't it a food? Like spicy food?"

Rias ignored the student's curious comments while maintaining her composure. She was severely caught off guard by Raynare's words, causing her to sweat a bit.

"I'm…not sure what you mean, Raynare-san. But, since you're new here, and you are Asia's friend, I would simply like to speak with you. Maybe I can also show you around the school persona—"

"—I'm only taking her to class. That's it. After that, you won't have to worry about me. I'm only here to observe her. If you still have a problem with that.."

Raynare's expression became dark.

"..I'll make sure the Sekiryuutei knows you are causing us trouble.."

Another bead of sweat ran down Rias's cheek. Why Raynare, of all people, suddenly showed up to the academy with no explanation, and was then threatening the Devils with action from the Sekiryuutei, was unknown to them. Rias could only wonder to herself in confusion about it.

 _'..Has she now been forgiven by the Sekiryuutei? Impossible. He wouldn't forgive someone like her… Then why is so callously tossing his name around? Why is she here with Asia in the first place? Most of all, where is Ise..?'_

Raynare wasted no time in grabbing ahold of Asia's hand and walking away with her.

"..Let's go, Asia."

"E-Eh? O-Okay.."

The two passed the Devils with only Asia glancing back at them, and Raynare looking straight ahead.

"..What should we do, Rias? Should we stop them?"

"...No. We need to know why she's here in the first place. Ise has been absent since yesterday. I was sure that he was going to kill those Fallen-Angels, if not worse… We have to contact him."

—After encountering the Devils, Raynare promptly led Asia to her class. She left as quickly as they arrived, as to avoid being questioned by random students or teachers.

And just like the day before, Raynare sat in a shady tree beside the classroom window, silently observing Asia from a distance. She did nothing, but watch, and quietly think to herself.

 _'…What am I doing?... Why did I say something so risky to those Devils?... Why would I act like I have enough authority to call upon the Sekiryuutei's wrath?... I keep doing and saying such stupid things… I keep doing things that aren't worth it… And for what, for that girl?…. That girl, who I was trying to kill only a week ago?... Have I gone crazy? Has the fear of the Sekiryuutei driven me mad?… Or am I really just that stupid now? Has my brain turned to mush..? It just doesn't make sense. What I'm doing doesn't make sense anymore… I keep doing all of these senseless things, and yet, for what?... For what?..'_

While thinking about all of this, Raynare's gaze remained glued to Asia's face.

It seemed as if Asia was a student who tried her best and studied dutifully, appreciating all of the academic experiences she has never had before… Yet, she did not seem invested. She did not look intrigued or curious. Rather than that, her expression looked…distant. Not out of disinterest, but out of something involuntary. Something beyond her control, affecting her mood. Something that made her expression look all too familiar to Raynare.

An expression that is best perceived through ones eyes. An expression that Raynare refuses to believe she shared at any one point in time.

—Loneliness.

…..

Gradually, Raynare's gaze seemed to meet the ground far beneath her.

"…I really am stupid.."

* * *

Inside of his home, Issei sat silently on the sofa. Not saying a word, not opening a curtain. Doing nothing, but staring at a framed photo in his hands.

A photo with a baby version of himself, and his two parents holding onto him lovingly.

... _ **Ring!**_..

The sound of Issei's phone. It must be someone calling. On the slight chance that it was Asia, he considered answering it. But when he picked up the phone, an unknown number appeared on the screen.

A random number. But he knew well enough who it was. He recognized it. Even if it wasn't a contact, he recognized the number itself, unfortunately.

The Devil's number.

….

….

…He placed the phone back on the coffee table, facing downwards.

* * *

 _ **Day 3**_

The morning of the third day. The next day would be it, the day that Issei's parents passed.

Standing at the exit of the household were Asia and Raynare, both dressed and ready to depart.

"...Um, I'm leaving, Ise-san!"

Asia announced it, hoping that Issei would hear it from somewhere beyond the hallway. But this time, the answer she received was…

….

Nothing.

"..."

Having received somehow even less of an answer than the day previous, Asia also became twice as morose.

"..Let's go, Asia."

"...Yes."

The door shut, and Issei was left alone in the house again, with no sound to accompany the air inside.

[Yesterday, you visited that place called the "arcade", was it? Where will you visit today, partner?]

Issei paused before answering.

"…Today, I will visit the second place in which their presence resides the most."

[That is?]

Issei answered that question by arriving at 'that place' instead.

* * *

[Ah, so this is it, eh? I do recall you visiting this place before. Once when you were visiting that person you call your grandmother, and another when you were accompanied by 'that woman'. To believe that it had been so close to your real home, yet you never returned it. Not until recently, of course.]

"...This place is technically still in Kuoh, but it's on the outskirts. It's not far by any means, but it's not so close that I could easily walk. Of course, now that I can fly, it's not even a thought I need to be concerned with… And, you're right. My grandma does live out here… Though, I don't know if I could bring myself to see her again…"

The place in which Ddraig and Issei were currently at was, unsurprisingly, a memorial site.

A memorial site dedicated to all of the victims in Kuoh, those unfortunate souls who succumbed to the "worst natural disaster" in the town's history.

The memorial itself is a statue esque creation. A statue of a collapsed house, with a group of people standing before it, holding hands together. A statue that represents the tragedy of the situation, with the message that all of Kuoh's citizens would stand united in the face of it. And below that statue is a large plaque that holds all of the 100 plus names of the victims.

Even though it may not have been a representation of the reality of that day, its sentimental value was no less in Issei's eyes. And definitely no less in the eyes of Kuoh's inhabitants.

The reason it's built on the outskirts of Kuoh is so that, should there be any tourists who visit Kuoh, they will be aware of the tragedy that took place before entering, and may also properly pay their respects.

[But why not visit their graves directly? Why come here instead? Did you not visit their graves before?]

To that, Issei remained silent. It's true that he did visit his parents graves with Marie and his family before, but… If he is to visit it alone, he would see no point in it. To him, and to him alone, there was no difference between their graves and this memorial site. Why?

Well, the answer should've been obvious.

— _At the gravesite, there would have been nothing of his parents to visit. Those coffins are practically empty._

At the very least, here, he can pay respects to every victim.

"...May you rest in peace.."

Issei knelt down and paid his respects in the most humble manner he could. He remained in that position for minutes without moving.

It wasn't until he heard the voice of another person that his respectful silence was broken.

"Oh… Somebody's here.."

Issei's attention was caught by the sound of a voice. He stood and turned to see a young, black haired man not too far from his age.

"Hello."

"...Hello."

The young man stepped up beside Issei while scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"Sorry... I wasn't expecting anyone else to be here.."

"...No, it's alright."

Issei stood in silence while the other man paid his respects quietly. After that, the two merely stood there, saying nothing for a while.

The young man spoke first.

"...So you're paying respects to somebody too, huh?"

Issei nodded his head grimly.

"...Yeah, my parents.."

"Both..?!"

The young man was shocked. Again, Issei nodded his head with a sad expression.

"I'm so sorry…"

The young man placed his hands together and paid his respects.

"May they rest in peace.."

"...Thank you."

"No problem."

After that short exchange, it became silent again.

Issei then asked the young man, out of consideration of him.

"...You're also here for a family member?"

The young man nodded his head and pointed towards a name on the plaque. The surname was "Okamura". By logical deduction, this young man's name must have also been Okamura.

"...Okamura."

"Yeah, he was.."

The young man, Okamura, paused before answering.

"...He was my little brother."

"..!"

This shocked Issei, though he didn't express it. This person didn't seem much older than him. So if he lost someone ten years ago, how young could that person have been?

"... A younger brother?"

"...Yeah, he was.."

Again, there seemed to be a sharp hitch in his breath. Unexpectedly, Okamura turned to Issei with a tragic smile.

"He was only two years old. I was ten when it happened, haha."

 **[—?!]**

—The revelation sent chills down Issei's spine.

...Two…

A two year old child. Practically a baby, hardly even a toddler…

And that baby died on that day, likely, by the hands of a filthy monster.

….

Issei only reached the conclusion that Okamura was only twenty years old by now. He was right, he wasn't much older than Issei.

After Okamura revealed that information, Issei took a long pause before speaking again.

"...I'm so sorry."

"...Thanks.."

There was nothing Issei could say. He couldn't think of anything. He was only reminded that he was not the only one to suffer the consequences of that day.

Out of a subtle sense of worry for the young man, Issei inquired him about his family.

"...You don't have anyone to pay respects with..?"

"Huh? Oh, no, that's not it.. I do. I have cousins, an aunt, and…"

Okamura hesitated for a moment.

"...And I also have a father, but…"

He turned his head away while saying it.

"...I hate him."

Okamura's attitude piqued Issei's interest. He hates his father? There may be certain circumstances that Issei isn't aware of in regards to that, but… With the way that Okamura was acting, it seemed as if his hatred for his father and the tragedy of his brothers loss, were somehow related.

That's why, Issei questioned him about it further.

"...Why do you hate your father?"

To that question, Okamura remained silent.

"..."

But his body began to shiver, ever so slightly, and Issei could make out the subtle sound of the man's fists clenching tightly.

"...Because.. It's his fault…"

And even though his head was lowered, it was easy to view his eyes, which were burning with hate.

"...It's that bastard's fault..! It's his fault that my brother died..!"

 **[—?!]**

He was blaming his father.

"...His fault? What do you.."

"That guy..! That bastard..! When my brother's room collapsed..! While my brother was dying..! He didn't do anything! That bastard, he just did nothing but stand there! I pushed and yelled at him as much as I could, and that son of a bitch just stood there, doing nothing! —It's his fault! Because of him, my little brother died for nothing!"

Although Issei was shocked to hear all of this, he was still capable of making his own deductions based on the details given to him.

"...Okamura… Your father didn't move because..he was in shock."

"..Shock?"

Despite saying this, Issei's words did not have an impact that he could've hoped for. Instead, Okamura turned his tear ridden, hateful eyes towards Issei.

"...You wanna attribute that to shock..? What sort of coward doesn't move when his child needs help..?! Even I, who was just a child, was able to move and yell at him to help..! But with that little body and mind, there was nothing I could do! I was useless! But still, I moved!— And he didn't?! Even though he was our father?! Even though he promised us, after mom left us, that he would take care of us both, he still wasn't able to move?! DON'T FUCK WITH ME! WHAT KIND OF COWARD JUST LETS HIS SON DIE IN FRONT OF HIM?! AM I SUPPOSED TO FORGIVE HIM FOR THAT?! BULLSHIT! I WAS—! I AM—!"

Okamura's body shook violently, but his screams died down. His voice started out in a low tone again once he resumed speaking.

"...Hey, did you know?... My dad, he actually tried killing himself a week ago.."

"..?!"

"Hehe… That's the reason I'm here today… I usually would come with my aunt and cousins here tomorrow, who I live with.. We come here when everyone else is here paying their respects too…. But this time, I came early, so that I could be alone… Because, I knew…"

Okamura lifted his head slightly, only to reveal that he was shedding a profuse amount of tears, with an unstable expression on his face.

"...I knew that I would have gotten like this!— Because when I found out that my dad tried to take his life, I..!"

He placed a hand over his face.

"..When I found out, I got so scared! I got so scared that I threw up!— Even though I'm supposed to hate that bastard..! Even though it's supposed to be his fault..! For some reason, I got so scared when I found out! Like if I was scared of being left alone! It was so pathetic, it makes me sick to my stomach! And yet..! Even though I know all of that..! I still..!"

Issei was left so dumbfounded that it was difficult for him to think of words to say.

"...But, it's not his fault... He was in shock…"

"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?!— You think I haven't been told that?! You think I don't realize the truth?! I know all of that already! But..! What else do you expect me to do?! What the hell am I supposed to do?! Who the hell am I supposed to blame?! Lady luck?! Nature?! God?!— It makes me sick to my stomach because I know the truth already! BUT..! Even though I understand it, I can't stand it! I can't stop myself from hating him! And now, now that he's tried taking his own life, I don't know what I'm supposed to feel! I..! I..! "

Okamura then fell to his knees and held his head in his hands, as if slowly curling up into a ball.

"I end up hating him, only because it lets me live normally!— Because, in my heart, I know it! I know that the one who I'll end up hating the most, is ME! AND THAT MAN, EVEN THOUGH HE ALSO KNOWS THE TRUTH, HE JUST LETS ME HATE HIM, AND BURDENS ALL THE BLAME, UNTIL HE CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! BUT IN THE END..! IN THE END, I KNOW THAT, IN MY HEART, THE ONE WHO I HATE MOST FOR BEING UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING— THE ONE THAT I HATE FOR BEING SO USELESS— **IS NO ONE BUT MYSELF**!"

….

….

….

….

Issei was left totally, and utterly, speechless.

This man— For reasons unknown even to himself, Issei understood him better than anyone. So much so, that he unknowingly shed a tear from his right eye.

 _'...Ddraig..'_

While Okamura wept to himself, Issei turned away from him, and communicated to Ddraig in his mind.

[What is it, partner?]

 _'...Do you remember that ability that I wanted to develop, a few years back?.. The one about illusions and reality?.. The one about "truth"...'_

[Ah, yes. I do recall. That was an idea you gave up on, correct? Why do ask?]

 _'...I've changed my mind.. As I thought, I have found a use for it after all..'_

[You want to try it?.. I have to warn you, partner. Creating abilities like that on the spot is extremely difficult, sometimes dangerous. Although I have always believed in your potential, and your ability has increased dramatically since those years, it still takes an immense level of willpower in order to accomplish such things. And it is more likely that phenomenon like those can occur naturally, while experiencing powerful emotions.]

 _'...If that's the case, Ddraig, then there could be no better time than this, for me to create such a thing.'_

[Very well. I understand. I trust you on this. If your will is for it to be done, then so be it. It only relies on you.]

 _ **SHIIIIIINN!**_

—Because of his position, Okamura could not see the bright, green light that Issei's body emitted. Or perhaps he was distraught that he couldn't notice, because it was a light so bright that it seemed impossible to hide, even for Issei.

This ability that Ddraig and Issei spoke of, it was nothing more than a hypothetical that Issei suggested to Ddraig when he was much younger. It was an ability that theoretically would have allowed him to 'read a person's mind'.— No, it was much more complex than that. Rather than reading their mind, he would read their 'heart'.

By that, it is an ability that would not only allow Issei to peruse through the memories of a person's mind, but also know the 'reality' of which they inhabit. An ability that can dispel 'illusion' and allow them to perceive 'truth'.

In other words, it was an ability that he planned to create in order to dispel the false truth that the Devils planted in the memories of Kuoh's citizens.

But… He realized that, in the end, it would not have changed anything. All that revealing the truth to them would have done was expose the existence of the supernatural. But what good would that do? What difference would any of it make? It would bring back those that they lost, nor would it bring them any peace. In fact, if it somehow brought anything to fruition, it would only be conflict, and hatred… That's why, Issei scrapped the idea, and never returned to it.

Not until today.

 _ **SHIIN!...**_

[It is done, partner. You were able to do it perfectly. As expected of my host, I suppose… So then, will you show him the truth?]

 _'...No. He doesn't need the memories. Because he already knows the "truth".. The truth that it wasn't his father's fault..'_

After confirming the status of his ability, Issei walked up to the Okamura and knelt down beside him. The young man's cries were now reduced to a quiet weeping.

Issei merely placed his left arm on Okamura's back, unbeknownst to the man, that Issei's arm was encased in a red gauntlet.

 _'..Let's do it, Ddraig.'_

 _ **["Real Genjitsu"]**_

….

….

Once the ability was activated, the memory that Issei was able to perceive was…

…..

A man holding his child, beside a doorway. He looked like he was hiding from something. His face had a horrified expression, and there were tears falling out of his eyes. His hands were tightly wrapped around his child's mouth and eyes, as if to prevent him from watching something and crying out. Underneath the man's palms, his child was releasing muffled screams and tears, suggesting that the child already knew what was happening.

Through the doorway, there was a child's room. The room had a hole leading to the outside, as if the wall had been burst through by something.

It was. And what burst through it was none other than a beast. A beast that almost resembled a deformed lion, standing in the middle of the room. There was blood coming out of the beast from somewhere, it's face.

That's right. Now the image became clear.

A manticore.

And in the mouth of the Manticore, the beast held something bloody.

 _The pieces of a baby's torn up body, dangling from its mouth, dripping blood all over the floor. It was the very same Manticore Issei watched a group of Devils kill not long after._

….

….

….

….

….

—In the reality of the outside world, Issei placed a hand over his mouth. Whether it was to prevent himself from vomiting, or screaming, even he didn't know. But now, there were tears freely falling from his widely opened eyes.

….Soon enough, he forced himself to regain his composure. This wasn't about him, after all.

"Okamura.."

Issei subtly wiped away his tears before Okamura could look at him.

"..Go see your father."

"..?!"

"Trust me when I say this.. This grudge that you're holding, it's not worth it.. Even you know that, I'm sure… But trust me when I say that it's NOT worth it.. Life is.. Life is too short. You won't have your father forever. I think you've realized that by now. You've been forced to realize it. That's why, you have to cast aside your hate. Your hate for your father, and for yourself. You already know the truth well enough. Now, it's time to confront it."

Okamura turned away, his eyes now having become red due to crying.

"...But how am I supposed to face something like this..? A reality as harsh as this… How am I gonna deal with it?"

"..With your father."

Okamura turned back to Issei again.

"There is no one else in this world who understands what you went through better than your own father. He experienced the very same pain alongside of you. You know that too. That's why you should be bearing this pain with hi, not against him. You both went through it together. No, you _should_ be going through it together. Because you both understand it. And you're family… It's not worth throwing away a life with your father just because you are afraid of facing reality. You must face it. But you must face it together."

"...B-But.. How can I do that..? How do I know...that, when I see my father, he will accept that?... After I've gone on hating him for so long, burdening him with all of the blame… How do I know he will accept me..?"

To that question, Issei placed a hand on Okamura's shoulder and smiled.

"Because your father loves you."

And with that, Okamura only wept harder then ever before.

* * *

On a bench, not far from the memorial site, Issei and Okamura were sitting and talking.

"You know, Hyoudou-san, someone like you should be a therapist."

"Just Issei is alright. Also, ha. I would suck at being a therapist. I usually just tell people to suck it up or deal with it."

"You can call me Takeru then. Also, you say that, but you really helped me with my problem. You practically single handedly solved an emotional crisis I've been dealing with for the better half of a decade."

"Why didn't you just see a therapist yourself?"

"I dunno. Maybe I knew what my problem was but I didn't want to face it, just like you said. But since it was someone like you, who went through the same thing, I was able to see the light, even though it didn't work all those other times previously with my family."

"I see. Well, I only helped you because I like you. So how would that do for a therapist?"

"Hahaha, you're right, that's probably terrible for a therapist to say. If you only help people you like or relate to, you might not get any business."

There was a comfortable silence left between the two for a while. Until Issei broke it.

"...Hey, Takeru.. If you already knew the truth in your heart, then why do something like hate yourself? You know you were a child, right? None of what happened was due to your actions. How can you blame or hate a child for simply being there? There was nothing you could do. So, it seems irrational that you would do something like hate yourself over it. Even more irrational than hating your dad."

When Issei asked that, Takeru sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Haa, who knows, man. Doing something like that… Even though it's weird, isn't it kind of expected? I mean, doing something irrational like that, isn't that kinda one of those things that makes us human?"

Upon hearing his response, Issei directed his gaze to the empty sky above.

"...I guess you're right."

 _ **The Final Day**_

Day 4.

Today was the day. The fateful day. The day of the "Kuoh disaster".

—The day of Issei's parents' deaths.

On this day, attending school in Kuoh is actually optional. There are also many stores and other establishments that tend to close down for the day.

Today, Kuoh grieves in solidarity.

Asia was made aware of this by other students at Kuoh academy, who claimed they would not be attending out of respect for family members.

Although there are many students who still attend school as usual, it is taken as a sort of unspoken agreement that teachers will not assign students with any big tests or assignments on that day, as to not affect the absentees. In fact, teachers will usually just have most periods set as a study period. There are even teachers who take the day off themselves.

And for those who do take a day off of work or school, you would likely find them gathered together at the memorial site, on the outskirts of Kuoh.

All of this aside, considering that Asia wasn't one of the people directly affected by the Kuoh disaster, she felt that it would be disrespectful if she were to take advantage of the situation and skip school.

Despite this feeling, she also knew that perhaps the best thing to do would be to stay home. After all, there is one person who was affected by this disaster that she knows very well. And it's the person she cares about most.

That's why, even though she was already dressed for school, Asia hesitated to exit her bedroom.

"...Ise-san.."

—Downstairs, Issei was already sitting at his kitchen table, alone, and silent. He was doing nothing but staring at a picture frame of his parents he held in his hands. He heard soft steps coming from the staircase, but they were ever so slightly heavier than Asia's own.

Those steps belonged to..

"...Sekiryuutei-sama."

The person who ended up standing behind his chair by a few feet was none other than Raynare. And for reasons unknown to him, she was calling out to him.

"..."

Issei peered over his shoulder to observe the now silent Raynare.

Her expression was as emotionless as always. A dead, empty gaze, similar to those Issei has had in the past. So similar, in fact, that there was one detail only someone like him could notice.

—Though her expression was devoid of emotion, the look in her eyes was inexplicable. Rather than appearing as if they were empty, they merely felt like they were too complex to read.

And even in Raynare's mind, her thoughts were emblematic of that, through her confusion.

 _'...What am I doing..?'_

While Issei was staring back at her silently, she made a decision which even she could not comprehend. And so, she didn't try to.

 _'...Who cares anymore….'_

To Issei's surprise, Raynare knelt down in front of him..

 _'...I'll just stop thinking about it, and do whatever I feel like doing...'_

And prostrated herself in dogeza form, as if to beg him for something.

"...If you don't allow Asia-san to stay home today, then at least send her off with kind words."

—But the air was left in silence at her words.

….

….

Raynare stared at the floor in front of her eyes without saying a word.

Somehow, she did not fear any specific outcome. She almost felt like she no longer even feared death itself.

—Or at least, not when it concerned Asia, she noticed.

 _'...Honestly… What have I become?...'_

Before Raynare received any type of answer, Asia's steps could be heard coming down the stairs. Seeing that her attempt brought no results, Raynare simply stood back up without saying anything.

Asia then arrived downstairs, fully dressed, and with her school bag in hand.

"...Um, good morning.."

"..Good morning, Asia-san."

Raynare returned Asia's greeting, but Issei only remained silent in his seat, not even turning back towards the two of them.

Asia's hands clung tightly to the strap of her school bag as she spoke.

"...I-Ise-san… If you don't mind..I would like to stay home today…. Today, of all days, I wouldn't like for Ise-san to be alone…"

….

She said it with a deep consideration, and hesitation. But there was no response. Issei was still dead silent.

And this could only leave her to assume - that his mind has not been changed.

"...M.."

Asia pushed up her bottom lip in a sad gesture, and stopped herself from saying anything. She was already prepared to hold back any tears that could possibly meet her eyes.

"...Let's go, Asia."

Raynare simply led Asia towards the hallway as she should have, only taking one glance back at Issei before entering it.

"...Asia."

But from beyond the hallway, they heard Issei's voice.

"...You can stay home today."

In one moment, Asia's face switched from melancholy, to happiness. She ran from behind the hallway and into view of the room they had left again. There were a few tears falling out of her eyes.

"Okay, Ise-san..!"

Raynare, who was left standing in her place in the hallway, stared curiously at Asia.

 _'...'_

Her mind was empty, and her face was blank, but there were feelings running inside of her that she couldn't explain.

"Um, t-then, since I'm staying here, is there anything that you need, Ise-san? Can I get you something?"

Asia asked Issei while approaching him, but his answer was as concise as before.

"...No. Just leave me be."

Asia's happiness diminished just a bit after hearing that, but she tried her best not to display it.

"..O-Okay… Then, may I sit with you?"

To her other question, Issei returned to silence, leaving Asia in dead air.

"...I-Ise-san..?"

"...Asia."

Issei said it without looking at her.

"Y-Yes, what is it, Ise-san?"

"...There is something that you can get me."

"Eh? R-Really? Okay.. What is it?"

He paused before giving an answer.

"...Strawberry milk."

"Eh?... Strawberry milk?"

Asia suddenly remembered it.

"Ah, that's right..! The one we bought from the convenience store, isn't it? Did you run out? Hehe, Ise-san likes that milk, doesn't he?"

"...No."

"Eh?"

Asia was left confused, as Issei refrained from saying anything beyond that.

"...B-But, Ise-san wants me to get some from the store… Right?"

"...Yeah."

After confirming that, Asia nodded her head.

"Okay… Then, I will go get it… Um, I'll be back.."

"...Have a safe trip."

Thanks to that, Asia regained her smile.

"...Yes, I will!"

Asia then proceeded back to the hallway that Raynare was now standing outside of and invited her casually.

"Let's go, Raynare-san..!"

Raynare glanced at Issei before following Asia down the hallway. Just as she was about to step forward, she was stopped for only a brief moment.

"...Raynare."

She turned her eyes to Issei again.

"...Why did you ask me to do that?"

It was obvious that he was speaking in reference to her request about Asia. But even so, Raynare shrugged, as if she didn't even have a solid answer herself.

"..I guess I don't like being indebted to someone."

"...Liar. Someone like you… Scum like you doesn't care about repaying debts…."

"...Maybe I don't.."

"...Then why?"

Raynare paused and pondered the same question.

"...Why indeed…"

Issei finally glanced back again for a moment. Raynare's expression was as hollow as usual, but her eyes were still somehow unreadable to Issei.

"Raynare-san?"

When Asia called out to her, Raynare promptly followed Asia to the door and out of the house.

—Issei was finally left alone again, in a house with no light.

"..."

After a minute of silence and stillness, Issei placed the photo of his parents down on the table and stood up. Step by step, he walked himself over to the only room he needed himself to be in for the day.

—That was the dark and empty playroom, filled with nothing except the shrine. The shrine which held photos of his parents, and their family name above the stand.

"..."

Without saying anything, Issei slowly brought himself down to his knees. And in that position, he remained, to spend his time mourning and remembering his beloved mother and father.

He remembered all of the times they hugged and kissed him. He remembered all of the times they played with him. He remembered all of the times they made him breakfast. He remembered everything.

All of the times they tended to his little wounds. All of the times they scolded him. All of the times they watched over him. All of the times they encouraged him. All of the times they protected him. All of the times they comforted him. All of the times they spoiled him.

Everything.

His only wish - was that they could do any one of those things, just one more time. If he could only speak with them once more. If he could only see them once more. If he could only know that they're there, somewhere.

Perhaps, he could be at peace, if only just a little bit.

.

.

.

.

.

 _ **"...My little Ise…"**_

….

….

Issei slowly lifted his head up to look at the shrine before him. But there was someone standing in front of it, blocking his view. He recognized this figure.

Of course, it was one he could never forget.

"...Kaa-san.."

It was his mother.

"Ise… My baby boy… You've finally come home.."

Issei's mother looked as if she was about shed tears of joy at the sight of him. But unlike her, Issei's expression was one of misery.

Because he already knew the truth. He didn't need his newfound power to distinguish for him whether this was reality or not. It was just like all of those other times before.

She was just a hallucination. She wasn't real.

"I've missed you so much, Ise… Your father and I have wanted to see you for so long.."

Issei's head hung sadly.

—Despite knowing the truth already, he still couldn't help himself…

"...I've missed you too, Kaa-san."

"...You've gotten so big, Ise… You look nothing like you used to… You look so sad.."

"...Yeah."

"Who made you sad?"

"..."

"Who left you alone?"

"..."

"Who made you feel alone?"

"...Me."

Issei answered all of her questions at once, with his head down in sadness.

"...It was me… I did it.."

"Did what?"

"...Everything… It was all my fault."

"...No, honey… It wasn't your fault… You were only a child, there was nothing you could do."

—There it was. That accursed phrase again. Just like that, it was confirmed to him that this interaction, was nothing but a mental illusion. An affliction of the mind. His brain was just torturing him, again.

"...You're wrong… The fault is mine, and mine alone….. No. The fault is mine, and…."

"...The Devils?"

His eyes, full of sadness, and now hatred, narrowed.

"...Yes."

"Are they the reason why you are sad?"

"...Yes."

"Are they the reason why you are alone?"

"...Yes."

"Are they the reason why you feel alone?"

"...Yes."

"...Are they the reason that we're gone?"

"...Yes."

"...That's odd.. I don't remember being killed by a Devil."

The fact that Issei was almost surprised by her words made him feel idiotic. He scoffed to himself.

"...Of course you don't… You're just in my head."

"..What a horrible thing to say to your mother…calling her a fake. After I've waited so long to see you…"

Issei let out an exasperated sigh. It sounded as if he was annoyed, but on the inside, he only felt hollow. He was simply tired of everything. Thats why, he was already preparing himself to get up.

"...Did we ever raise you to blame someone for something that wasn't their fault?"

Issei froze in place. His head came up a bit to look at his fictional mother. His melancholic expression had shifted to an 'unfriendly' one.

"...What?"

"Faulting someone for something that wasn't their intention… Is that something we taught you?"

"...Oy… I don't care if you're a figment of my imagination, or a subconscious part of me, or whatever…you don't talk down on the teachings of my parents.."

"That's right. We only taught you the best, so we certainly didn't teach you that. So then, where did you learn it from?"

Issei's fists clenched themselves ever so slightly.

"We didn't teach you to blame others for mistakes that aren't theirs, did we?"

"...You.."

Issei's teeth grinded against each other in anger.

"...If it wasn't for the Devils, Kaa-san would still be alive..!"

"...Maybe… But what if I died just a year later from disease, and your father didn't think it was that serious, so he told me not to go to the doctor until it was too late?... Would you blame him for that?"

"Hah..?! What horseshit are you talking about..?! If the Devils never existed, Kaa-san and Tou-san would still be here..!"

"You don't know that, Ise."

Issei's eyes narrowed even further.

"...What the hell are you trying to get at?"

"Ise… Life is unpredictable… Even the most unexpected events can occur without warning… How was anyone supposed to know that would happen..?"

"..Are you trying to say that was some freak accident..?!"

"No… I'm just trying to tell you not to blame people for things they didn't mean to happen."

"..'People'..?! Don't bullshit me! They're filthy Devils, and if they didn't exist, my parents wouldn't be dead!"

"Tell me, Ise… That day, was there a moment in which you witnessed a Devil killing a person?"

Issei hesitated to answer his hallucinatory mother's question, but that only caused him to become angrier.

"..That damned religious zealot killed plenty of kids from what I remember!"

"The stray?... Don't fool yourself, Ise. We both know there's no comparison to be made there. I'm talking about on that day specifically."

"Tch..! Who cares if they didn't kill anybody?! They were still responsible for it!"

"How do you know that?"

"Because they were there!"

"So were you."

For some reason, Issei flinched when he heard that retort.

Logically, it should've been an easy argument to counter. There were many other people in Kuoh, after all. But oddly enough, even if just for a split second, Issei found it difficult to refute.

—It was like, subconsciously, he considered himself, even as a child, to be of the same nature as Devils. He considered himself inhuman.

"..So what?! At least I didn't kill anyone!"

"..You didn't save anyone either."

Issei's voice became lower, but his eye began twitching more and more as the exchange went on.

"...I saved Haruka."

"Yes, and that trio of Devils also saved Okamura and his father from the Manticore. Your point?"

"Tch..! They still let his baby brother die!"

"—And you let Haruka's mother die, didn't you? I'm asking you, what's the difference between you and the Devils? From what I understand, you were practically in the exact same situations. So what makes you different from them?"

"...I knew you were a fake… My real mother would never compare me to the likes of those fucking Devil scum!"

"Perhaps I am real, perhaps not… But does that make what I said any less true?"

To that, Issei's body recoiled harshly.

"Do you understand, Ise? Can't you see that your logic is so deeply flawed? If the Devils are killers, then that also makes you a killer. If the Devils are at fault, then you are just as much at fault. But that doesn't make sense. It's irrational."

"...I-If those Devils are so good, then why did they let you die?! Huh?! Why didn't they save you?! Why, out of all people, did they not save only you two?!"

"We were not the only ones who weren't saved, Ise. You know that."

"Exactly! So if they're so fucking good, then why did they let all of those people die, huh?!"

"..Again with this. The same argument can be made for you. If you're so good, then why did you allow so many people to die as well? Despite being the Sekiryuutei?"

"I'm not good! I'm a fucking murderous psycho with no fear of death, and I've killed plenty of people who didn't deserve it!"

"...Then that would make you no better than the Devils themselves.."

At that point, Issei's enraged expression twisted into a deranged smile, and he slammed his palm on the ground beneath him.

 _ **SLAM!**_

"EXACTLY! I'M JUST A DISGUSTING KILLER FILLED WITH NOTHING BUT HATRED AND SELFISHNESS! I'VE KILLED PLENTY OF PEOPLE, HUMAN BEINGS THAT DIDN'T DESERVE IT! I'M JUST THE SAME, IF NOT WORSE THAN THOSE FILTHY, WORTHLESS FUCKING DEVILS!"

Following his delusional howl, there was nothing in the air except silence.

…..

…..

"...Is that why you hate yourself, Ise?.."

—Gradually, Issei's crazy smile faded away, and his face was covered in darkness.

"..."

After lasting a full minute within the soundless world, Issei's voice came out in a growl again. And the fingers he pressed up against the ground, curled into a fist, peeling parts of the floor with his nails along the way.

"...If there were no Devils in this world, that day never would have happened.."

Issei's false mother lowered her brows in disappointment.

"Ise... Have you been ignoring all of my words up till now?"

And in response, Issei snapped again.

"Then what the hell should I be doing?! What do you expect me to be doing?! Am I just supposed to pretend it didn't happen and go on living a happy life?! HUH?!"

"..You already know the answers to these questions… If you didn't, then you wouldn't have been able to give that same advice to Okamura, would you?.. Hating someone who doesn't deserve it, you were the same..."

Issei's teeth grinded ever harder, and his fists clenched tightly enough to gradually change the color of his hands.

"...Those three Devils… They mentioned it… They mentioned that the magic used to transport the monsters to Kuoh was demonic!"

"Ah.. Are you referring to that trio of Devils you overheard during the catastrophe again? Yes, they did indeed mention that… And yet, those Devils were trying to save others… Did you also conveniently forget the part of the conversation where they mentioned another group of Devils conspiring against them?"

"Talking about some stupid shit… Garbage like 'internal spats' and 'civil strifes'… But in the end, it was about the Devils..! Devils, Devils, Devils… In the end, it still falls on the Devils..!"

"So the sins of one group of Devils falls on all of the Devil race?... Did we teach you to have such an immature mentality?"

At that point, Issei spat out in rage.

"STOP FUCKING AROUND! You keep saying shit like that, but despite all of that, there's only one truth that I know! There's one reality that you can't deny! —One Devil or all of them, NONE OF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THERE WERE NO DEVILS IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

Issei's vision of his mother went silent momentarily.

"...Perhaps you're right about that. That's not something anyone can deny."

Issei's rage subsided for a moment, almost feeling satisfied with her response instead. But..

"If that is indeed the reality of a certain scenario…. Then you must start living in your own reality, Ise."

(—?!)

Once again, his anger began to build.

"You must stop running from reality, Ise. Live in your own reality. 'If the Devils never existed then we wouldn't have died', that may certainly be a possibility. But in the end, it is just a possibility, not _your_ reality. The reality of the world that you live in is that Devils exist, and we are no longer in this world. Your reality is not the one in which Devils are nonexistent. That's why, you must face your own reality. And that reality is that 'not all Devils are at fault for the Kuoh disaster'. There is more to that tragedy than you know. So for you to so easily label it as a fault of all Devils is ignorance… We did not teach you to hate so blindly… We didn't teach you to hate at all.."

And once again, his anger exploded.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO THEN?! Do you just expect me to forgive and forget?! Do you expect me to forget the fact that it all ties back to Devils in the end?! Do I just ignore all of that and live in happiness?! HUH?!"

"No… I am simply telling you, as I have told you before, that you are blaming the wrong people. At the very least, you are blaming too many of them."

"THEN WHO THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO BLAME?! WHO THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO BE DIRECTING THIS HATE TOWARDS?! IF I CAN'T FORGIVE OR FORGET IT, THEN WHERE IS IT SUPPOSED TO GO?! WHERE DO I SEND IT?! WHAT DO I LOOK AT?! WHAT DO I TARGET?! WHAT DO I KILL?! TELL ME, YOU FUCKING APPARITION!— WHO IS IT?! WHO ELSE IN THE WORLD IS IT?!— WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO HATE?!"

There was a pause before there was an answer… Issei's visage of his mother lowered her head, as if overwhelmed by emotion. When she finally lifted her head again, there were tears falling out of her eyes.

"...'Who are you supposed to blame'… 'Who are you supposed to hate'... My sweet baby boy…. Who turned you into this?... Who filled you with such despair…. Who made you suffer so… Who…...Who taught you hate?..."

….

….

—Despite everything that could have been said, one could easily assume that Issei's answer was as clear as day. In a voice filled with absolute contempt, he would give an obvious answer. One could assume that the blame would, as always, infallibly fall to the Devil. The children of the Devil, and the Devil himself.

...But, somehow, whilst tightly gripping on the cross hanging from his neck, and wearing a tortured smile, Hyoudou Issei's answer— was somehow the exact opposite.

And yet, it was not a shocking one.

 _ **"...GOD…."**_

.

.

.

.

.

.

—Just as quietly as she first appeared, Issei's mother disappeared without him even noticing. He held his head down silently, and once again, he was left alone.

….

Or so he believed.

….

….

 _ **《**_ _ **Liar.**_ _ **》**_

And with one apparition gone, another came to its place. Another one, which he distinctly remembered the voice of. He knew it well enough that it was unnecessary to look back up. After all, that voice belonged to him.

《We both know your real answer to that question.》

—In front of Issei, it was none other than his child self. Dressed in the very same exact clothing that he wore on that tragic day, and holding an object that was covered by a silky white cloth in his hands. And with an expression of contempt, and eyes that were as hollow and black as an abyss.

《...You lied… Your answer is much simpler than that…. It's way more obvious too. You even said it once before… So then why'd you lie?》

Unlike the encounter with his mother, this time, Issei did not respond. For everything he heard from himself, he could only accept as truth.

《...God, Devils, Fallen-Angels, Sekiryuutei.. It's all nothing in the end. It doesn't matter. None of it matters. Because we both know your real answer to all of those questions.》

"..."

《...No matter how much you try to run from reality, I will bring you back down to it. Because I am the 'you' that faces it. I am the reality that you deny. And I will always come back to remind you of my existence, and of the truth. The truth that we both know.》

Unbeknownst to Issei, the white cloth which contained an unknown object, gradually became dyed red, and started bleeding.

《..."Who is to blame for everything"… "Who made you suffer", "who made you feel alone", we know the answer to all the questions. It's all the same in the end. "Who is at fault for it all"... "Who taught you hate"…. We know it already.》

The bloody cloth moved on its own, acting as if blown by some imaginary wind. And underneath the cloth, the object that was contained in it was..

《...And above all else, where does your hate go... "Who do you hate most in this world"... It's not God. And it's not the Devil, or his children. No. The answer to that, it's the same as the answer to all the other questions, isn't it?》

—Underneath the cloth - was the severed hand of a woman, with a wedding ring on its finger.

 _ **《—**_ _ **WHO TAUGHT YOU HATE— WHO DO YOU HATE MOST— IN THE END, THE ANSWER IS THE SAME FOR BOTH— THAT BEING THAT YOU HATE MOST— THAT BEING THAT "WE" HATE MOST IN THIS WORLD— IS RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF YOU.**_ _ **》**_

When Issei lifted his head to see him, his child self had already disappeared. There was no one there to see. There was nothing to see.

 _Nothing else but his own reflection, trapped inside of the photos of his deceased parents._

….

….

….

….

"...Ise-san?"

A short time later, Asia had returned from the store with Raynare. Of course, only Asia stepped into the play room to speak with Issei. Raynare didn't even dare walk down the hallway.

"...Ise-san… I'm back.. I have the milk.."

Issei's expression was empty and his body was slouched forward. At this point, he was drained of all emotion. There was nothing more significant that he could feel for the day.

"...Um, d-do you want me to serve you some?"

Instead of replying to Asia's question verbally, Issei merely lifted a hand and pointed towards his parents shrine.

"...Oh! I see…"

Asia respectfully walked towards the shrine, retrieved the strawberry milk from her shopping bag, and carefully placed it on the shrine. Then, she returned to Issei's side and knelt down.

"...Offerings are a form of paying respect in Japan, right? Now I understand.. Um, then.."

Asia placed her hands together and said it softly.

"...May you rest in peace."

Issei only glanced at her, not saying anything.

"...But is there a reason why it is strawberry milk? Is it because it is Ise-san's favorite?"

"...It was…"

Issei's voice finally came out, causing Asia to look over at him. His face was devoid of emotion, but his voice held a soft tone.

"...It was my mother's favorite.."

"...I see."

Then, Asia smiled beautifully at Issei.

"I also think it is very tasty..!"

—Issei wondered why, why was it that such a smile could fill his heart with such warmth after having it beaten down so severely? There was something inexplicable about it.

But a part of him assumed that it was, perhaps, because of that resemblance. That resemblance to another lovely church girl who lightened up his heart, so long ago.

Nevertheless, with such a beautiful smile before his eyes, Issei could only reciprocate.

"...Yeah, me too."

And while looking at his own reflection in his parents shrine, Issei asked of her.

"...Asia… For their sake, can I hear your prayer?"

"Yes, Ise-san."

And though it was a prayer to a god he claimed to hate, Issei listened peacefully. And while looking down at the cross on his chest, he believed in his heart, that it was not god, but someone else entirely - who he hoped was watching over him.

* * *

Later that day, whilst cooking dinner, Issei answered the phone call of the people who were blowing up his phone.

"Hello."

[Hi, Nii-Nii..]

"Hey, Maki."

[Me, Kaa-chan, and Tou-chan have been trying to call you.]

"Yeah, I know.."

[..Are you okay? How have you been?]

"I'm okay… I'm better now that you've called."

[Okay, that's good to hear… Did you sleep well last night?]

"Yeah."

[Did you eat well today?]

"Yes, Maki."

[What about school? Did you skip or did you go? It's okay either way, I just wanna know.]

"I skipped, Maki, but I'm fine. Geez, you're starting to sound like Baa-san."

[Hey, don't call me an old lady! I'm young! My boobs just came in too!]

"I didn't call ya an "old lady" (Baa-san), I said that you're startin' to sound like "Auntie" (Baa-san). Technically, that means that you're the one who just called her an old lady."

[..Say what?! No, I didn't mean that! Ah, wait, Kaa-chan! Ouch!]

"Hahaha, is everyone else there?"

[...Yeah, Kaa-chan and Tou-chan are here… Ow..]

"Heh, well, tell them I said hi."

[Okay, but they can hear you anyway. That's why Kaa-chan smacked me..]

"I see."

[...We miss you, Nii-Nii.]

"..Yeah, I miss you guys too."

[Narutobi and Tsubomi-chan miss you too.]

"Yeah, I can tell. Tsubomi never stops texting me, heh."

[We'll try our best to visit you when we can, Nii-Nii.. When it's your birthday, I'll definitely try to go and see you! Even if I have to walk all the way over there by myself!]

"Haha, ya don't have to go that far. Actually, I would rather ya didn't. Besides, it's no big deal. I feel satisfied just hearing your voices."

[...We love you, Nii-Nii.]

"I love you guys too."

[..I love you more.]

"I love you most."

[...Please take care of yourself, Nii-Nii.]

"Yeah, don't worry, I wi—"

"Ise-san, the table is set for dinner."

Issei flinched at the sudden voice. He turned to Asia and gave her a thumbs up, acknowledging her statement. Asia, realizing that he was on the phone, respectfully walked away. But the damage was already done.

[...Nii-Nii, who was that?]

"Ah.. That was just my friend. She's a foreign girl I met not too long ago."

[...A foreigner..?]

"Yeah, that's right. She's Italian. She wasn't very good at Japanese when I met her, so I was the only one able to understand her for a while. That's why we made quick friends. But she's picking it up as she goes along—]

[—Is she cute?]

"Huh?"

[...Is she - cute?]

"..Um, why would you ask such a thin—"

[—Tell me, now. Otherwise, I demand a picture.]

"..What's with you? I mean, yeah, Asia's beautiful, but I'm not sure why that matters.."

[Listen here, Nii-Nii…. Very recently, you started asking Tou-chan for more money to support yourself over in Kuoh… It's more money than we expected, but we didn't question it because we love you… But ya know, with that much money it seems like you were supporting another mouth to feed, and that's on top of what we already provide you with, which is enough to feed TWO mouths….]

"...If the money is a problem, you don't have to worry… I can just get a part-time or something—"

[Don't play dumb, you already know money is no object! Tou-chan has been a high level financier for years, he has plenty of money saved up, that's not the point! The point is that you're acting like you need this money no matter what, enough to even get a part-time job! And all that tells us is that you're trying to support more than just yourself!— GASP! Don't tell me…. YOU'VE GOTTEN MARRIED?!]

"What?!"

A drop of oil jumped out of the food Issei was cooking, causing him to burn himself.

"Ow!"

"Are you alright, Ise-san..?!"

"I'm fine, Asia, just stay over there with Raynare!"

[ASIA?! RAYNARE?! Those are names, ain't they?! And TWO OF 'EM?! OH MA GOD, DID YA HAVE A CHILD WITH HER?!]

"What?! No, of course not, what the hell!? I literally haven't even been here for nine months yet!"

[SO SHE'S JUST PREGNANT?!]

"No!"

[BUT YUR' STILL MARRIED?!]

"NO, you idiot! We're just friends!"

[ON A FIRST NAME BASIS?! MA FIRM ASS!]

"Oy, Maki, what did I tell ya about watchin' your language!?"

[WHAT DID I TELL YA ABOUT WATCHING YUR' CROTCH?! OF COURSE GURLS' WERE GONNA TO BE HUNTIN' YA JUST LIKE I SAID! WHY DIDN'T YA LISTEN?!]

"Maki, calm down, your accent is showin'!"

[SO IS YURS'! WHICH MEANS YUR' NERVOUS! SO IT'S TRUE, AIN'T IT?!]

"Maki, I swear, I'm gonna hang up!"

[I DON'T APPROVE 'UH THIS, YA HEAR ME! I DON'T APPROVE 'UH YUR' ILLEGITIMATE LOVE CHILD! I DON'T APPROVE 'UH YUR PHONY MARRIAGE, WHICH BY THE WAY, IS ILLEGAL! AND I DON'T APPROVE 'UH YUR' GIRL! SHE AIN'T ALLOWED TO BE YUR' WIFE, NII-NII PROMISED HE'D MARRY ME FIRST, NOT SOME ITALIAN BIMBO!]

"I'm hanging up now. I'll call you on your birthday."

[I DON'T APPROVE! NONE OF IT! NON—]

 _ **Beep!**_

And with that, Issei hung up and finished cooking up dinner. Once dinner was ready, he brought it over to the dinner table and served it.

"Who was that, Ise-san?"

"...Haah… Don't worry about it…"

After serving all three of them, Issei sat down beside Asia and began eating.

But Asia noticed Raynare pick her food up on a tray and start walking towards the stairs.

—This is now a common occurrence.

It's because of Issei dictating that one of the 'rules of the house' is that: [Raynare is not allowed to eat at the table with them.]

Therefore, her place to eat would be in Asia's room, alone. Of course, this has never stopped Asia from joining Raynare in her room to eat with her, but it still bothered her, even now.

That's why, Asia turned to Issei and requested earnestly.

"Ise-san… May Raynare eat here at the table today?"

Issei did not immediately answer her question. Instead, Issei just continued eating silently.

Asia frowned and stood up from her seat, walking over to Raynare, and planning to head to their room to eat, as had now become the usual.

..But before Asia could reach her, Issei stopped Asia with his voice.

"Asia.."

Issei said it without looking away from his meal.

"...Only today, she can sit."

And at a moment's notice, Asia's face was beaming again.

"Thank you, Ise-san..! Come on, Raynare-san!"

Asia took Raynare by the hand and led her back to the dinner table. They sat beside each other, with Raynare sitting on the opposite side of Asia, as to avoid being close to Issei.

In her happiness, Asia wouldn't stop talking to Raynare in an excited manner. Raynare tried her best to listen, but she couldn't help taking a curious glance at Issei.

And unintentionally, she had met eyes with him. She looked away as quickly as when she first glanced.

Issei, however, kept his gaze locked onto Raynare. What could be running through his mind, no one knew.

But as he continued eating his food, one thing became clear to him...

Though he doesn't understand why, he knows that it is true. Issei and Raynare share one common interest. He realized this when Raynare fell to her knees before him.

—That is, they both want to make the person sitting in between them happy. Perhaps it may not seem like it, but they must know this. Because it is impossible to ignore the fact that they have both presented examples of their ideals.

That ideal being: that, perhaps if it is for 'this girl', then they might be willing to do more than what they expected of themselves. Even perhaps enough to put aside their own differences…

Only time can tell if this is true.

But at the very least, they are similar in one way. In fact, there is one aspect of their personalities which is almost exactly the same, even if they would never admit it.

And that is, no matter how much they may dislike, or possibly hate each other… There will always be one person - that they both hate, above all else. Someone they cannot escape.

And that person— is in the reflection of every glass they face.

* * *

 _ **Two Months Later…**_

* * *

One morning, in the downstairs section of the Hyoudou household.

"...Like I thought, wearing the real thing is uncomfortable.. I should have just transformed."

The one who said that to herself while looking in a mirror, was the dewinged Fallen-Angel, Raynare. Dressed in the Kuoh academy official uniform.

"Too bad. Deal with it. I'm not gonna let you being uncomfortable get in the way of the fact that, 'cuz of you, I had to ask that shitty "shitori" Devil for a 'favor'..."

And from behind Raynare, the Sekiryuutei, Hyoudou Issei, appeared out of nowhere and nonchalantly responded to her complaint.

"..Yeah…..Thanks, by the way."

Though she didn't look directly at him, Raynare thanked Issei through the reflection of the mirror.

Issei simply scoffed and looked away from the Fallen-Angel.

"...Don't. I didn't do it for you. I did it for—"

"I know….. Same here.."

The two said nothing to each other beyond that point.

...As they stood in silence, a third person came down from the stairs.

"Ise-san..! Raynare-san!"

It was Asia Argento, and she was smiling as ever brightly as the morning sun.

"I'm ready to go!"

Issei displayed a rare smile upon seeing her, a smile that was usually reserved for her.

"Alright then. Let's head out."

The three proceeded to make their way out of the house, with Issei being the last one. He paused for a moment before shutting the door, looking back into the house.

There was a small smirk on his face.

 _'...Kaa-san, Tou-san… I'm off..'_

...And though there wasn't much light in the house, for a moment, he couldn't help but think to himself...

—Perhaps this house…wasn't as dark and lonely as it seemed.

* * *

 _ **Pop, pop, pop!**_

[Welcome~!]

When Issei, Asia, and Raynare arrived on campus, there was one building in which they were immediately set on going to. Not necessarily because they wanted to, but more because Asia did. And because of the fact that it was apparently one of the requirements behind 'the deal' that Issei made with the Devil(s).

That is, the old school building, the place where the Occult Research Club resides.

That very same group is the one that just greeted the trio with the popping of streamers and a room filled with snacks like cake.

Issei let out a heavy sigh and placed a palm against his face.

"Haaah… This is so stupid…"

Of course, it was a welcoming party for Raynare, who was attending her first day at school (which she didn't need) and attending the club (which she also didn't need). But, it wasn't for her, so there wasn't much room to complain.

While Issei was already tired of the event, and Asia was fawning over it, Raynare simply felt perplexed at the situation. She was expecting less of a welcome.

Rias stepped in front of the trio, and gave a speech with Raynare in mind specifically.

"Welcome, to the Occult Research Club. We will be interacting with each other much more often from now on, so let's try to get along, shall we? We may have been enemies in the past, but I would hope to assume that things have changed now. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to see why exactly Ise allowed you to stick around, let alone live in his home. But since he did, I have to assume things are different now. And if Asia is as willing to call you a friend as she claims she is, then I can't see a reason why we shouldn't try to coexist either. —I hope we can put our differences aside and live on peacefully with each other."

Rias then extended her hand over to Raynare in an open manner. And though she was no longer smiling when she said it, her eyes held no animosity in them. Instead, they held a soft glimmer.

"What about you, Raynare?"

Raynare glanced down towards Rias's extended hand and said nothing. Then, she turned her gaze towards Asia beside her.

Asia merely looked up at Raynare with a similar glimmer to Rias's. At that moment, Raynare realized what it was. It was hope.

Raynare sighed deeply.

"...Yeah."

But she took Rias's hand into her own and shook it.

"..Me too."

Rias smiled and nodded her head.

Raynare took a glance back at Asia, who was beaming with happiness. Noticing that, Raynare was satisfied. Why it satisfied her to do such things for Asia's sake, she stopped questioning that a long time ago. Now, she only does what she feels like doing, even if she doesn't understand it.

"Now that that's settled, let's celebrate, shall we?"

—After the formalities, the little celebration began. The members of the Occult Research Club ate and conversed amongst each other. Time passed with the group not having much regard for school, as they were excused beforehand.

Amongst the group who were conversing was everyone from the club, aside from Issei, and Koneko Toujou, who was eating silently on the couch opposite of him.

Issei, meanwhile, was doing nothing but sitting on one of the sofas with his head back, and just staring at the ceiling.

"Do you mind if I sit, Ise?"

While Issei was thinking empty thoughts, Rias came over and sat down beside him.

"..What do you want, you ruined my concentration."

"You mean your daydreaming? I've known you long enough to discern whether your thoughts are of consequence or not. I can clearly tell you're not thinking anything serious."

"Shut up, shitty Devil. You haven't known me for long at all."

"You haven't called me "shitty Devil" in quite a bit. But at this point, I'm starting to consider it more like a pet name than anything."

"Except most rational thinking people don't usually want to kill their pets, Gremory."

"Ah, but you're not a "rational thinking person", are you, Ise? In fact, you're quite unstable."

Rias said it with a mischievous smile. At this point, it seemed as if she had become accustomed enough to Issei's presence that she would occasionally joke like this, without fear. Something like this, however, only caused to click his tongue in annoyance.

"Tch, whatever."

Issei turned his head away from Rias, but she continued speaking to him regardless.

"..Say, Ise… You never told me what happened. Why was it that you allowed Raynare to remain here in Kuoh, let alone your house?"

Issei was silent for a moment before answering. His gaze was caught over on Asia and Raynare, who were conversing with each other.

"...It was for Asia.."

"..Yes, that much I could put together… But I'm more trying to reference her personality. I didn't really know about her before you…"got your hands on her", but from what I could tell based on her plans with Asia… She seemed quite malicious. At the very least, she was selfish, since she was planning to extract Asia's Sacred Gear from her body, which would have killed her. So she certainly wasn't a "nice" Fallen-Angel. But from every time Asia would come to club and mention her, she claimed that she was "thoughtful"... And when we met her on that day that she accompanied Asia to school… She wasn't very confrontational. She did threaten to 'report' us to you, but she also said that she wasn't looking for trouble. She 'just wanted to watch over Asia harmlessly'... After that day, I was confused on what had happened and wondered why things seemed entirely different from what I had assumed… I may not have known her before you "clipped her wings", but I had reasonable doubt to assume that she would be more of an "emotional" person than that.. When I met her, it was like speaking to a dead person. And now, she just seems like a calm and collected individual with a generally level-headed mentality… I may not have known her, but she certainly could not have been such a reasonable person before..? Otherwise, solving the problem with her group would have taken less than a day…. So would you mind telling me, Ise, why exactly is Raynare like this now? And if you don't mind me asking, why were you willing to forgive her?"

Issei remained silent while watching Raynare speak to Asia. Raynare didn't smile much. In that way, she and Issei were similar. No, they were similar in more ways than one. A few ways that Issei, at some point, had to acknowledge. They were even similar in exactly what thing made them display those rare smiles.

And of course, that thing was the person that Raynare was speaking to right now. Which, is what he assumes is allowing Raynare to smirk ever so subtly as she currently speaks.

"Haah.."

Issei gave sigh, but it was a lighter one than his usual.

"...We have a common interest."

Issei stated it very simply without taking his eyes off the two girls. Rias merely thought to herself.

 _'...He didn't deny forgiving her..?'_

"...So does that mean you no longer hold any hatred towards her?"

Issei shrugged at Rias's question.

"...Who knows… Can't say I like her, don't really have a reason to… But…"

"..But what?"

"...We both have something we hate more than anything, and each other, so what does hating one another even do?..."

"..Something you both hate more?... Ah, Devils, is it?"

Rias said that with a sort of disappointed understanding, but Issei..

"...No."

"..Eh?"

Issei did not respond after that. But Rias still smiled.

"...I see. Well, at least you've become much more of a reasonable character recently. After all, if we're all stuck with each other, what point does hating each other do?"

"Gremory.."

Before Rias could continue any further, Issei asked her a question in a low tone, without facing her.

"...That day, ten years ago… Tell me, what happened… Why did that day happen..?"

Rias's attitude shifted into a more somber one, and she held her gaze downward.

"...That day was….. To this day, we still aren't very sure about the specifics. Any of the more detailed information is restricted to only the most high level Devils. I'm ashamed to admit that I don't full access to such information. I don't even know who did it… However, what I do know is that it was an attack.. Not necessarily on Kuoh itself, but rather my family… I was there that day with my father, he was showing me around his terrority, which was to become mine one day… And though I didn't get to see much before we were evacuated, I could see some of the destruction in the distance… The White Whale and other beasts wreaking havoc… And I remember vaguely overhearing another Devil speaking with my father about it… That he was the target for the attack… It was...mortifying…. Well, I suppose I can't compare it to what you went throu—"

"—Rias."

Issei interrupted Rias before she could finish. It was one of the first times he had referred to her by her first name alone.

"...Right now, you just said… That your father was the target?"

"Eh? A-Ah, yes, that's right…"

"It...wasn't you?.."

"Well.. From what they could gather, no, he was the target… At first, it was believed that I was actually the target, because of the circumstances… But apparently, not all of the clues fit that theory.. After all, if it was an ideological attack against the Maou, with me as the target, then why would human Sacred Gear users be with them?... I don't know anything beyond that, but… Something had to have been going on that we didn't know.. Or that I don't know… I'm sorry, Ise, that's all I have… Though, you may not understand everything I'm saying..."

Issei did not reply or acknowledge Rias's apology. In fact, he didn't move, and his breathing seemed to halt.

"...Ise?"

In Issei's mind, there were only two phrases that were repeating in his head, and nothing else.

 _("..Hey, Takeru. You know you were a child, right? None of what happened was due to your actions.. How can you blame or hate a child for simply being there?")_

..And..

 ** _("Ise, my baby boy... You are blaming the wrong people..")_**

...

...

—Though Rias couldn't see much of Issei's expression from her angle, she at least noticed one detail.

..Issei's eyes were stretched wide open.

"...Ise, are you alr.."

"—Rias."

Issei faced his body away from Rias fully and leaned forward a bit, as if in a gesture of shame.

"...In the past, I told you that I hated you for..everything…"

Issei muttered it so quietly that it was just like a whisper.

"...I'm...sorry….."

There was an immediate silence between the two.

"...What?"

—In the end, Rias never confirmed what Issei had said to her that day.

.

.

.

Not a single one of the Occult Research Club members were able to notice that day, that there was a moment - when they were being watched.

* * *

 **Unknown**

In an undisclosed location.

"Hooh… It looks like Rias acquired a new bundle of servants… How cute… Perhaps I should make my debut to them soon?"

* * *

 **End**

 **Alright, fellas, there it is! The "slowly but surely" character developments continue! Some subtle, some obvious. Not full developments though. No one is finished developing, especially Issei and Raynare, who were the main focus of the chapter. It was quite obvious what the parallel between them was, I literally spelled it out.**

 **Anyway, I'll try my best to get updates out, but you know, I am working on a real novel now so my time is pretty booked. It most certainly shouldn't take five months holy shit, I don't know why I didn't realize that. Also, it should definitely be easier to write for this story now that plot and action are about to be coming into play. A LOT easier. So I'll try my best in that regard.**

 **Honestly, I was worried about the chapter being too short when I first outlined it, but then it ended up being pretty long, thank god. That should be a good amount to fill your hungers. Don't worry, I'll be trying to satiate your appetites so that you don't starve. Also, I just realized, a lot of chapters start out with Issei having nightmares lol. I mean, he really does have them every night, so it's kind of unavoidable to a certain extent, poor bastard. Okamura was just my take on the unwarranted blame and irrational guilt that trauma can often cause. He was also a clear parallel to Issei, further signifying how different trauma can still have extremely similar effects on different people.**

 **So yeah, lotta heavy shit happened and I didn't give you a warning. Cuz fuck it, lol. But now, we get into the next arc. The arc of the immortal bird. I wonder what you guys think is going to happen. Not sure, but I KNOW you wanna see some shit go down. Leave your guesses in the comment below! (lol)**

 **Also, you'll learn more about Issei's new ability as the story goes on. It's basically my replacement for Palingual.**

 **Tell me what you guys felt about the develops around Issei and Raynare. Where do you expect Issei's psyche to go, down or up? Do you think Issei and Raynare will ever become "friends"? Do you think Issei's actually forgiven Raynare? Will Issei ever become "friends" with the ORC? What will come of the man who does not die? And how powerful is Issei right now? (You won't know for sure, but you'll get an idea. Just sit back and watch).**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy!**

 **Stay frosty.**


	17. Chapter 17: Gremory

**Okay, we're getting into the meaty stuff now. We've caught up to the plot. Oooooh, I can't fucking wait to reach the Kokabiel arc. Honestly, I've been waiting so fucking long for that shit, Jesus Christ, you have no idea. I MUST SATIATE MY LUST FOR CHAOS.**

 **But, for now, this baby arc will have to do. I say "baby" arc because, even though I think it will be good, it can't compare to the Kokabiel arc. Also, it's probably gonna be shorter than that arc, lol? This one is probably gonna be like...two chapters? I mean, you** _ **could**_ **say that it technically started at the end of the last one, so if you want to count it then maybe it'd be two or three chapters. But I honestly doubt that this arc isn't gonna end in this chapter tbh.**

 **WHICH MEANS, this might end up being a LONG chapter.**

 **But we'll just have to see about that.**

* * *

 **SCENE**

"Too slow!"

 _ **BAM!**_

"Ah!"

The Fallen-Angel, Raynare, was sent flying and hit the ground after being hit by something. Or rather, someone.

"Your movements are still too slow and telegraphed. At least if you're going to telegraph your movements, then be fast enough so that the enemy can't react anyway. Otherwise, you have to execute attacks that seem unpredictable. You have a body that could handle any backlash from it, so push yourself more towards that."

The one who punched Raynare, and was giving her a critique on her combat abilities— was this generation's Sekiryuutei himself, Hyoudou Issei.

—For what had been almost two months, Issei would constantly train Raynare in a detached forest. That's right. He was training her himself, allowing her to become stronger under his tutelage.

Why? Well, the reason was obvious.

If Issei was going to leave someone like Asia, which he cared so deeply for, in someone else's care, then they'd best be capable of defending her. If not, there would be no point.

Raynare recovered from the attack by getting back onto her feet and spitting out a wad of blood, without changing expressions. Issei couldn't help but note to himself how resilient she had become in her time training with him.

"Now, come at me."

Issei motioned for Raynare to charge him. Raynare took action, and instead of charging him, spawned a light spear and shot it straight at Issei like a javelin.

Issei caught the bullet speed light spear with no trouble, right before it reached his face.

But the moment Issei caught the spear, Raynare followed his prior instruction without warning, and used her legs to propel her forward. However, she did not charge straight towards Issei. Rather, she boosted herself forward so that she could circle Issei and end up behind him.

Though she believed she was moving at an intense speed, Raynare didn't fail to notice that Issei's eyes were nonchalantly following her all the way around him, as if she was moving in slow motion for him.

Every time she realizes this fact, she is reminded of their difference in strength, and feels a chill run down her spine.

 _ **Zip!**_

Raynare finally halted when she was directly behind Issei, in his supposed blind spot. She instantaneously spawned two light spears in her hands to stab him, with the intent to kill.

Of course, Issei simply caught both of the spears headed into his back from behind, without even turning around or looking back.

"If you're not fast enough that I can't follow your movements with my eyes, then there's really no point in getting behind me, is there?"

Issei asked that in an unbothered manner, but Raynare responded despite expectations.

"Actually, there is..!"

Right then, without either of the two releasing their grip on the light spears, Raynare used said light spears as leverage and unexpectedly jumped to wrap her legs around Issei's neck from behind. It was essentially a similar move to the backwards "triangle choke".

Issei thought to himself in an interested manner about the surprising maneuver.

 _'Sankaku-jime… She's using the skills I taught her from Judo…'_

[Hmph. A Fallen-Angel utilizing judo to fight in a mock battle with the Sekiryuutei.. To an existence like myself, it simply sounds like a joke.]

 _'It's only a joke if it doesn't work. In this instance…'_

Issei hopped off the ground in a reverse motion, allowing himself to fall flat on his back against the ground, crushing Raynare beneath him.

 _'—It's not gonna work.'_

 _ **Slam!**_

"Agh!"

Raynare cried out in pain from being smashed under Issei's weight. With that opening created by his retaliation, Issei flipped over and got on top of Raynare, with a knee to her stomach and a hand to her throat. While holding her in place, Issei commended Raynare.

"Not bad. It does you well to heed my advice, doesn't it? Keep it up and you'll be at a capable level before you know it."

In response, Raynare groaned and laid her head back, as if to accept her failure.

However, Issei's eyes narrowed upon seeing this, and his grip around Raynare's neck tightened.

"..What, are you just going to admit defeat? You think you can't win?"

Raynare panicked slightly at the unexpected tightening of Issei's grip. But Issei only brought his face closer to Raynare's, his eyes emitting a subtle, green light.

"..Listen, yeah? Defeat is a concept that only exists when you are dead. Until that point, you fight with every fiber of your being to win. Even if the enemy is stronger than you. Even if it may seem impossible. It's not over till it's over. Every enemy has an exploitable weakness. You're only defeated when you accept defeat… Or is your plan just to give up when you think you've lost, and let Asia die as a result of your actions?"

For a moment, Raynare did not respond to Issei's remarks.

But to Issei's surprise, after only a second of hesitation, Raynare took hold of the arm that was caught on her neck.

—Her eyes were burning like a fire, and she was growling like a beast.

And out of nowhere, she spawned a light spear with her free arm and brought it straight towards Issei's head.

 _ **ZIN!**_

….

But Issei caught Raynare's arm with his free hand before the attack could reach him.

"...That's enough for today."

Issei then released his grip on Raynare and stood up. Raynare followed soon after taking a breath. For some reason, Issei had a momentary smirk.

 _'...Out of all places, she was aiming for my eye… So she can react correctly when it matters.'_

After Raynare wiped herself off, Issei gave her an in-depth "review" of sorts on her performance.

"That wasn't too bad. Your overall strength and speed have steadily been increasing. But it's still not good enough. We can't neglect your "javelin toss" or "sprint" training. Remember what I told you: if there's some part of you that's lacking, make up for it in another way. Since you can't fly, we'll just have to keep increasing the strength and speed in your legs, so that you can move around just as quickly. Speed would be easier to attain with flight, but you don't have wings anymore."

Raynare reacted to Issei's comment unintentionally, with an annoyed expression.

"...And whose fault do you think that is..?"

Upon hearing that, Issei scowled and directed his glare down to Raynare. She flinched, removing her gaze from his, and quickly lost her confidence.

"...I-It's my own.."

She just whispered that in a meek voice. After a few seconds, Issei also lost his anger and looked away from her.

"...It's both of ours... But there's nothing we can do about it now. It is what it is. We just have to make do with what you have left. A Fallen-Angel's body is still useful beyond its wings. If you can't fly, we just have to make you fast another way, like I said before… Agreed?"

"...Yeah."

There was a lingering silence after that short interaction had ended. It wasn't until Raynare made an off-handed comment that it was broken.

"...'A Fallen-Angel's body is still useful beyond its wings', huh…"

"What, you got a problem? Get your mind outta' the gutter, wouldja?"

"You were the one who implied it.."

"There was no implication. You assumed that there was, when it didn't even exist."

"..Is that so?"

"Yeah, it is... Damn Fallen-Angels. As I thought, you must all be dirty creatures."

"Can't help it. It's in our nature. I got kicked out of heaven for lust after all."

"Ha!"

Issei, surprisingly, stifled some laughter. He quickly regained his poker face of disinterest.

"..So that's what it was, huh."

For some reason, that caused Raynare's lip to curve into a smirk for just a moment.

"Yeah.."

After that, the temporary silence returned, and Raynare mulled over something to herself for a bit.

"Hey, Issei-sama.."

Out of curiosity, Raynare inquired Issei about a certain topic.

"Between me and the Devils… which do you think is stronger at this point?"

Issei thought for a moment before answering.

He held no reaction towards being called "Issei-sama", it was a reference which Issei himself suggested to Raynare that it was fine to do, after all. Although, it was the first time she had called him that..

"..I can't give a precise answer to that. The information I have on Rias and her servants' capabilities is sparse. I only know from what she has described. Things like her knight being the fast one, her little rook being the tough one, and Himejima being the all-rounder in second place… In terms of raw power, I think I can confidently estimate that Rias and her queen are likely both stronger than you. But if it comes down to her other servants, that's a coin toss. Combat effectiveness and abilities are two different things. For all I know, they could be powerful amateurs. In which case, I think with all of the techniques and tactics I've been teaching you recently, you could win. But I haven't seen them fight. I can't know something like that unless I see it. And that's probably because they aren't so powerful that they completely outclass you, so it's a close call to make."

"..I see… So when do you think I'll complete my training?"

To Raynare's question, Issei raised a dumbfounded brow.

"Hah? 'Complete'? There is no "completion" of training. Only an arrogant fool would slack off just because he thinks he's "strong enough" already. Stagnation is the road to defeat and death. We train until the day we die… Or is that too much for you to handle?"

Raynare scoffed and frowned.

"Hmph. As if.."

Satisfied with that answer, Issei turned and began walking away from Raynare.

"Good. I refuse to entrust Asia to a coward… Now, let's head back. Asia will be waking up soon. I need to cook breakfast before then. It's a school day after all."

"Right.."

With their training for the day reaching its conclusion, the two returned home, prepared for school, and continued with the rest of their seemingly average day.

* * *

 **Part 1**

After school, at the Kuoh Academy's old school building.

 _ **Knock, knock!**_

A knock on the door of the Occult Research Clubroom. Akeno Himejima responded vocally to the knock.

"Come in."

Of course, the ones who entered were the trio of current Hyoudou residents. Akeno greeted them upon entrance, to which, only Asia and Raynare reciprocated.

"Ara, welcome back, you three."

"Hello!"

"..Hey."

Issei merely picked at his ear in disinterest, and promptly sat down on the empty sofa, across from Koneko Toujou (who was eating snacks) and Kiba Yuuto (who was reading a book). Asia and Raynare followed suit, with Asia sitting in between her two companions.

After sitting down, Issei happened to catch the gaze of Koneko, who was sitting on the couch directly across from him. The two exchanged a nod of the head, but no words. For a person who appreciates a quiet atmosphere the most, Issei found that someone like Koneko was the most comfortable person to sit in silence with.

Shortly following their mutual nod, Koneko wordlessly offered Issei a lollipop from the candy bag she was eating out of.

Issei didn't particularly like sweets, but he certainly didn't dislike them either. If anything, he considered it as a symbol of peace to offer or accept a sweet from someone. That's why, he decided to accept the lollipop with a nod of his head and started eating it. Koneko returned a nod to him, acknowledging his silent gratitude.

"Heh.."

Kiba giggled to himself. He found it amusing that, out of all of the club members, Koneko was the one who somehow ended up becoming good acquaintances with the abrasive Sekiryuutei. Especially considering that Issei still didn't have that much of a stellar relationship with the rest of the club.

When it comes to Kiba himself, Issei technically has nothing against him, but they have relatively nothing in common either. Issei had already made it clear that he found Kiba to be "boring", and "straight edge". Kiba would always make an attempt to be friendly with Issei, since he is the only other male club member, but Issei wasn't too responsive. Issei's replies to him are generally short and inconsequential. Things like "Yo, pretty boy", or "That so, Arthur?". Arthur, of course, being in reference to 'King Arthur'. Another snarky nickname Issei has branded Kiba with is "knight of the circular table". Referencing that Kiba is Rias's 'knight', and replacing "round" with "circular" in reference to the fact that Devils use magic circles for various purposes. Kiba couldn't deny the cleverness of the label. Besides, the most interesting interactions Kiba had with Issei usually involved Issei making a joke about him, so he shouldn't complain, he thought.

When it comes to Koneko, well, that should already be obvious. Out of all of the original club members, you could say that they are on best terms. Not many words exchanged between the two, but with virtually nothing against each other and a mutual understanding of each other's non-expressive tendencies, they had a "positive" relationship.

When it comes to Akeno, well… If there were any way to describe it, the two would be on "uncertain" terms. From appearances alone, it doesn't seem like they have anything against each other. However, from a certain angle, one can tell that they weren't on positive terms. There are many instances in which one can view subtle hints, from Akeno in particular, that she does not feel entirely comfortable with Issei. Though she smiles as she always does, she hesitates to answer questions from him, preferring for another club member to reply instead. She always pours Issei's tea last. And, most of all, if she and Issei ever meet each other's gaze, she will look away as if they'd never seen each other. Issei speculated, but never fully understood why this was the case. The only thing Issei noticed was that it first started immediately after he mentioned that she wasn't a pure Devil, and persisted from there.

When it came to Rias, you could call the relationship between the two as "the most complicated". Issei would never fail to ridicule, mock, or chide Rias on whatever subject. However, in that same way, Rias does not fail to deliver a rebuttal either. A great amount of their interactions would end up being a back and forth "slugfest" of insults. Issei would usually deliver the cutting remark, while Rias would immediately give a snarky or mischievous reply. Looking at it from an outside perspective, it might even look like some sort of competition. Nevertheless, they did not hate each other, at least. In fact, it could be said that only one of the two had a better perception of the other.

Speaking of Rias, Asia noted that Rias never reacted to their group entering the room.

"Rias-san?"

Asia called out to Rias, who seemed to be in a daze, looking off into nowhere.

"..Rias-san?"

Once again, Rias did not react to Asia's calls, as if she hadn't heard them at all. Issei, who finished eating his lollipop, took the lollipop stick and bent it. He then flicked it towards Rias's head.

 _ **Flick!**_

The stick harmlessly bounced off of Rias's forehead, but it still prompted a response from Asia.

"I-Ise-san, that's rude..!"

"What, I'm just checking if she's dead."

Rias rubbed the spot of her forehead that the stick bounced off of, snapping out of her daze, and then noticed the stick sitting on her desk.

"Look, she's alive. Too bad."

"Ise-san..!"

Asia chided Issei with a whisper. Soon enough, Rias shook her head in confusion.

"..What?"

"Ah, Rias-san!"

"..Oh, Asia. I didn't notice you three enter. What is it?"

"No, it's just… Is something wrong?"

"Eh?"

Rias realized it with Asia's concerned expression. Rias shook her head and seemingly returned to her usual attitude.

"Ah, no, of course not. I'm fine. I was just thinking of… No, it's nothing. Thank you for asking."

"...Is that so?"

Asia felt uncertain about Rias's response, but decided not to question it further. Issei didn't care to question it either. But it wouldn't be accurate to say that he didn't mentally note it.

"Buchou."

Akeno approached Rias's desk and whispered in her ear. Rias then made a face of realization.

"..Oh, is that right? You must have been waiting on me. I'm sorry."

Rias stood up after receiving whatever information she did, and she cleared her throat.

"Ahem. —Ise, Asia, Raynare. My peerage and I have some official business to attend to. The "violent" type. As a result, we'll have to depart here. You can all go home today."

Upon hearing Rias's announcement, Issei rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Ugh, what a waste of time… Well, not that we do anything else here, huh. Come on, let's go, Asia, Raynare."

Issei stood up to leave, with Asia and Raynare about to follow. That was, until Rias added onto her previous statement.

"..Unless, you three would like to join us?"

Issei halted mid-step. He tilted his head back in a slightly interested manner.

"..Join you for what, Ichigo?"

'Ichigo' was one of the various nicknames that Issei had given Rias, in reference to her head being red like a 'strawberry'. To Rias, nicknames were an affectionate gesture, and she would annoy Issei with that perception, which he vehemently denied.

—That aside, Rias crossed her arms and smirked when Issei questioned her.

"I knew that you would be interested so long as I snuck the word "violent" in there."

"Just shut up and tell us already, G-spot."

That was Rias's least favorite nickname. Vulgar, and disrespectful to her family's "G" initial, which it made fun of. Issei knows this, which is probably why he said it.

Rias said it after losing her smile.

"Ugh.. What I mean is that we will now be departing to dispatch of a Stray Devil that was spotted here in Kuoh. And I was asking if you three perhaps wanted to join us."

"Join you? For what? You need help? I'm not an errand boy."

"No, not for your help, Ise. If it were you, I'm sure that you could handle it all on your own… Rather than help, I wanted to see if you were interested in observing us."

"An observation?"

"Yes. Until this point, Ise, you have never had the chance to see how combat works for us Devils. Or, at least not for a proper peerage of Devils. That's why, being a seemingly skilled fighter such as yourself, I assumed that you would perhaps be interested in watching the way we do things. To observe the teamwork of Devils. How about it?"

Normally, Issei might have declined such an offer. His response would predictably come out to "I'm not interested in shitty Devil tactics, I can fight better than all of you". However, this time, it was an entirely different response.

Instead, Rias's offer was met with a silent consideration from Issei.

 _'...Watch how a Devil peerage fights, huh?...'_

For some reason, during his contemplation, Issei's eyes slid over to Raynare who was sitting on the couch, unaware of his gaze.

…After a few moments of silence, Issei shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, sure. Show us how the little Gremory "heiress" does it, or whatever."

When Rias heard Issei's challenging reply, she smiled confidently.

"Very well. We shall."

* * *

Somewhere in Kuoh, outside of what looked to be a construction site, a magic circle appeared on the ground and revealed a few figures from it.

 _ **Shiin!**_

When the light of the magic circle died down, the entirety of the ORC appeared in front of that place, including the Hyoudou residents.

"Hmph. Looks like ya actually managed to transport others than just your little slaves, huh, Rias."

Right out of the gate, Issei gave a snide remark about Rias's magical capability. Rias only responded with a confident smile.

"Yes, that's right. After receiving your criticism in the past, I decided that I wasn't going to stand for it. That's why I dedicated myself to improving my magical control so that even those who are not a part of my peerage can teleport, _without_ being forced to use a preparation blood circle. So now, I am able to create one that can transport us all on the fly! You should praise me. It took me quite a bit of time and effort to master this. It's truly a High-Class ability, transporting non-peerage members. Especially this number of them. I'm sure if I wasn't a Gremory, it would've taken me years to accomplish this, not months. Impressive, isn't it?"

Issei scoffed at Rias's expectancy to praise. He said it in a mocking way.

"Hah. Many actions that you take in life will go unappreciated, Ichigo-chan. You just have to learn to deal with that. If anything, a "prodigy" like yourself should be treating it like it's something that's expected of you, not exceptional."

Rias frowned at his statement.

"..Every Good effort deserves to be rewarded even once in a while, Ise. Otherwise, it's just unfair."

Issei shrugged.

"Life is unfair."

Even at this point in their relationship, Rias could only imagine what sorts of trials or tribulations that Issei experienced in order to develop such a hardened mindset. Nevertheless, Rias was largely unaffected, and walked briskly towards the inside of the construction site.

"One day I'll break through that hard, cold shell of yours, Ise."

Issei scoffed again as the rest of the ORC followed Rias's lead.

"Hmph.. No, I don't think you will, Ichigo-chan."

Even though Issei had a less than entertained expression on his face, his eyes were especially hollow as he thought to himself.

 _'...A shell, huh…'_

—After making it further inside the construction site, the ORC reached a place that resembled a dirt pit. A wide, but not very deep, pit.

"A pit? But there are no tools or vehicles."

Kiba made that observation while looking around. Just as he said, there were no digging tools or vehicles around that could have created this pit. Moreover, Issei made another interesting observation while looking at the ground.

"..It was recently created too… Brand new."

 _ **GOGO**_ …

Just as the peculiar discoveries were being made, the more attentive listeners of the ORC heard a strange noise coming from somewhere. Those better listeners being Issei, Koneko, and the newly trained Raynare.

"..It's here."

Koneko stated it plainly, but her guard was up. Likewise, Issei was also aware of the Stray's presence, but even more so.

"..."

Without saying a word, Issei moved his eyes towards a certain direction. The moment he did, sounds of metal dropping were heard.

 _ **Din, Dun!**_

"..Found you."

The rest of the club members then directed their attention towards the place that Issei was staring at. Rias stepped in front of the group to announce their awareness of the Stray's presence.

"We know you're there. Come on out."

Following Rias's announcement, more sounds of metal clanging and then a large thud. And with that, a tall body crashed in front of the ORC.

 _ **DON!**_

Before the ORC, the Stray landed. When it stood upright, the Stray was revealed to be a large creature, over three meters tall, and with multiple arms. Six arms, to be precise. And each arm was almost as large as the Stray's entire torso. A grotesque, large, creature with veins throbbing over its whole body.

At this point, Issei didn't even care to feel disgusted anymore. He's seen worse, he's killed worse. Though he didn't fail to note that it reminded of a certain figure from an eastern mythology.

But if what Rias told him about mythologies was true, then he should refrain from making any comparisons, as to avoid offending such a being.

"Greetings, Stray Devil, 'Alkassa'. I am Rias Gremory of the Gremory clan. I would say that it is a pleasure to meet you, but formalities can only go so far. Truthfully, I feel disgusted."

The Stray Devil, Alkassa's, voice came out in an almost distorted manner, as most Stray Devils do.

"Kuku.. Gremory, is it? So they've sent the big dog of the Satans? I'm honored. Or rather, I expected this. It would take more than just mere Devil-dogs to scatter me."

"You shouldn't flatter yourself. It's simply a coincidence that I was assigned to this territory and it's my responsibility to exterminate you. Or should I say, it's just your bad luck that you were stuck with a Gremory like me."

Alkassa laughed at Rias's comment.

"Kukuku.. Interesting. Rather than kill you, I should tear you limb from limb with care. It's too rare that you meet a Gremory in times like these, let alone the heiress to the clan. I shall end your bloodline with this—"

"—Oy."

Issei interrupted the short dialogue between Rias and Alkassa. He was picking at his ear, not only in boredom, but also in severe irritation.

"...Why the fuck do Devils bother with this sort of talk? You're enemies, aren't you? Kill each other. I see no point in wasting time like this."

Rias attempted to explain the logic to Issei in a tone that suggested he was the odd one out.

"It's a formality, Ise. Without these sorts of traditions, we're nothing but brutes and savages."

"Excessive violence is what makes someone a brute. It's based on actions. Language does not change that. Whether you speak or not, you will be a brute if you are brutal. And in the end, one or both of you will die anyway. So other than wasting time, what are you accomplishing?"

"...It keeps us civilized, Ise."

"What worth does civility have to something that you're going to kill?"

"Because, Ise, it… Ugh, I swear, you're incorrigible sometimes.."

Alkassa, the Stray Devil itself, gave Issei an amused expression.

"Kukuku… Though I am a Devil, I can somewhat agree. You, you aren't a Devil, are you? You certainly don't smell it."

"I'm no Devil, I'm human. Though, I'd say I'm much worse than normal humans..."

"Kuku, is that so? Well, to answer your question, I'd say that an exchange of dialogue is nothing more than entertainment. To keep my interest until I kill my prey. I don't want to be bored after all. Otherwise, it's meaningless, just like you said."

Issei smirked in a condescending manner.

"Heh. Honestly, I find it even more unbelievable that a monster would bother with formalities, instead of just finding entertainment in ripping people apart."

Alkassa looked even more amused by Issei's comment.

"Kukuku.. The way you say that, it's as if you understand it… It's interesting, that look in your eyes. You certainly give off a different feeling than most humans. The fact that you are around Devils is also odd… Tell me something, human… What exactly do you know about monsters?"

Alkassa asked that while leaning forward a bit, a menacing aura surrounding his large figure, as if trying to intimidate Issei and his group.

Asia hid behind Raynare, clearly being the only one who was afraid. The rest of the ORC looked generally unfazed. Issei, on the other hand…

"...Haha, what do I know, huh?..."

..His smile widened in a somewhat twisted way.

—Though, from the perspective of Alkassa, Issei's face was obscured in darkness. And his right eye was glowing in a red light, piercing through the shadows, and Alkassa's own soul.

 _ **"..Perhaps far more than you do, Devil.."**_

 **[—?!]**

In one swift, unconscious movement, the Stray Devil Alkassa distanced himself from the ORC.

 _ **DON!**_

The Stray landed with a loud thud. From the looks of it, Alkassa was completely on guard now, causing Issei to snicker casually.

"Heh, so even monsters have instincts, huh."

"..You aren't human."

Alkassa stated it in a cautious manner, but Issei simply laughed it off.

"Ha! Maybe not."

Rias, who was observing from the side, felt that she had become accustomed to the idea that Issei was a frightening existence. After all, she had been intimidated by him before, and he is the Sekiryuutei. She understands the powerful, oppressive feeling he gives off very well.

Even so, it still amazed her that even a Stray Devil, which could be considered akin to a mindless beast, was terrified of him.

That aside, she had a job to do. And as Issei said before, they were now just wasting time. Rias cleared her throat to break up the atmosphere.

"Ahem. —Now then. Stray Devil Alkassa, you needn't worry yourself with Ise. Your enemy is us, Devils of Gremory. Ise is only here to observe."

"...So my enemy is just Gremory, is it?"

Alkassa noticed the small gap between Issei and his fellow household residents, and the Devils of the ORC. He then laughed upon realizing it.

"Kukuku… Kakaka! I see, I see. So then you are the main course? Very well. This much, I can deal with. Kuku.. Honestly, someone like me feeling so challenged, how ridiculous. Well, if it's just these Devil brats, I can handle them."

Alkassa pointed his finger towards Issei.

"That being said, I still plan to kill you. For some reason, I have the feeling that you are an existence that shouldn't be allowed to live. You are too dangerous. Even a monster like me can recognize it. That's why, after killing this Devil royalty, I will kill you next."

"Haha, you and every other Stray has shared the same sentiment towards me. [A monster like you cannot be allowed to live], I've heard it so much that it's a joke to me. But, you know…. Every Stray that I have come across who's said that— No, every Stray I've crossed paths with in general… They've all died, you know?"

Though he started it in an amused tone, Issei's attitude shifted into a more threatening one by the end of his statement. Alkassa acted as if he was unaffected.

"Well, it doesn't matter right now. I'll kill these rodents quickly. Then I'll dispose of the real threat."

Rias moved her lips in an annoyed manner, clearly irritated by Alkassa's comment.

"So you're implying that we aren't to your existence? How rude. I suppose we'll have to change that opinion of yours."

"Kuku, try as you may, Gremory. In the end, I will only erase you."

"Ara, how becoming of you. You've stolen my favorite line."

—The moment that exchange ended, the fight between Gremory and Alkassa began, with the Gremory servants taking up some sort of formation.

While that was happening, Issei asked a question to Raynare beside him, without turning to her.

"Raynare. Tell me, was he telling the truth?"

Raynare was confused by the random question, but she quickly caught on after a second of thought. She was being tested.

"...No, he's lying. The moment he kills the Gremory, he'll run. You can tell by his body language."

"Correct. Keep it up."

Raynare thought to herself with a grim mindset.

 _'...Of course he would run.. Even a monster knows that facing you means certain death… The only stupid part of him is thinking that he can actually escape..'_

Meanwhile, the battle between Gremory and monster had just begun.

 _ **Slam!**_

Alkassa slammed two of his arms into the ground and quickly pulled them out. When he did, two mounds of dirt turned into stones in his hands. He tossed the stones straight at Rias.

"I'll aim for the leader first!"

"—Koneko."

However, Koneko jumped in front of Rias at her master's command.

"K-Koneko-san!"

Asia cried out in worry, but once the stones reached Koneko..

 _ **DON, DON!**_

The stones were smashed to bits by Koneko's fists.

"..Dirt rocks are easy to break.."

Koneko said it in a flat tone, seemingly taking no damage from the attacks. Rias then commanded her servants further.

"Those extra appendages of his are going to be a problem. His height is troublesome as well. I'd say bring him down to our level, so we can speak properly. Tear me limb from limb with care, is that what you said? How ironic. —Kiba, Koneko."

" "Yes, Buchou." "

Both Kiba and Koneko immediately charged Alkassa once Rias ordered them to. Rias explained it with confidence while her servants fought.

"As you know, Koneko is my [Rook]. This means that she is granted great physical capability. Strength and durability, in particular. She is the epitome of offense and defense. Now that you've seen it, I'm sure you won't judge her based on her appearance any longer, will you?"

 _ **ZIN ZIN ZIN!**_

"Gaaah!"

The sound of something being sliced followed Rias's speech, along with a howl of pain, and a plopping noise.

 _ **Thud, thud, thud!**_

Three entire arms of Alkassa had fallen by the wayside, one of them even falling by Rias, who remained unfazed. The one who had severed these arms was none other than Kiba.

"Kiba, my [Knight]. His specialty is simple, speed. Add to that, his swordsman skills, and you have a wind that cuts you down before you know it. You once asked me exactly how fast he was, Ise. Now you can see it for yourself."

Issei replied in a disappointed tone.

"That's it? Raynare is faster."

Rias frowned while looking back at Issei.

"..I find that hard to believe."

"Believe it. It's true."

Rias furrowed her brows. Truth or not, she found it odd that Issei was defending Raynare of all people. Moreover, how could Kiba be slower, she wondered. Raynare doesn't even have wings.

The battle continued, with Kiba removing even more of Alkassa's limbs. Two of them. Now, the Stray had only one remaining arm.

 _ **ZIN ZIN!**_

"Guaaaaah!"

Alkassa roared in pain, but before he could react any further, Koneko appeared beside his legs. With a few harsh punches, she was able to break both legs, causing Alkassa to fall to his knees.

 _ **DON!**_

The Stray fell with a loud thud, and Rias called upon her final servant.

"Akeno."

"Ara Ara, it looks like it's my turn, ufufu."

Akeno walked forward with her usual smile. Rias explained it as Akeno approached the fallen Stray.

"Akeno is my [Queen]. The strongest servant. The Queen, instead of being restricted to one ability, is the all-rounder of a peerage. She has the abilities of Bishop, Rook, and Knight. Overall, she is the most powerful, and most balanced piece. Though, Akeno, in particular, is a "special case" amongst queens."

While approaching the grounded Stray Devil, Akeno's expression gradually began to shift, the closer and closer she got.

"Ufufufu… Please forgive me if I do something unsightly.. It's been a while."

Akeno's hands sparked. There was a yellow colored aura that danced around her fingers.

"Akeno is a sadist. And her specialty as a Queen is thunder."

At that moment, Akeno raised her arms, and a large strike of thunder descended upon the Stray Devil's body.

 _ **BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ!**_

"GAAAAAAAAH!"

Akeno's thunder struck Alkassa's body relentlessly. Even when it seemed like he couldn't resist, the thunder strikes continued. And during that time, Akeno laughed.

"Ufufufu! Please try not to give up! It will become boring if you do!"

 _ **BUZZ BUZZ, BUZZ!**_

"GAAAAAAAH!"

Raynare whispered to Issei while this was happening.

"That's sadistic? If that's it, what does that make you? I think you've been more sadistic to a piece of raw meat."

"..Right?"

Though Issei agreed, the combination of the words "sadistic" and "raw meat" did bring up some gruesome memories in Issei's mind.

"That's enough, Akeno!"

Rias called out in a voice that was loud enough to hear over the clapping thunder. Akeno ceased her strikes upon command, her face flushed and licking her own lips.

"Ara, ufufufu… And I was just having fun too.."

Rias turned her head to Issei again, this time with a prideful smile.

"Now you've seen how a Devil peerage fights, Ise. What do you think? An opinion from such an impressive existence like you, the Sekiryuutei, is important."

Issei smirked in response to Rias's inquiry.

"Heh. Yeah, yeah, it's ve~ry impressive, Icihigo-chan. As a master, you must be so proud of your little servants, huh."

Rather than act offended, Rias smiled.

"Yes, that's right. I'm proud of my cute little servants. I'm very proud of this peerage.. The Gremory peerage…. And of course, I'm proud to be a Gremory as well…"

"Hmm?"

For some reason, Rias's voice faded off into a murmur, and her expression became vacant. In only a moment, she was lost in her thoughts. Her expression almost looked...melancholic.

 _ **Gogo**_...

Issei's impressive instincts picked up on something. His ears caught onto the sound of something moving, like a subtle twitch.

The direction he looked to was beside Rias, where one of Alkassa's severed arms had fallen.

"...Hoh?"

 _ **Sizzle**_..

The body of Alkassa, which was releasing strings of smoke, twitched in a peculiar manner. After a few seconds, it became apparent that he was laughing.

"Kukuku… Kakakakaka! Idiots! I can control my arms even when they're separated from my body!"

"Wha.."

 **[—?!]**

Kiba yelled back after realizing it.

"Buchou, watch out!"

 _ **GOGO!**_

—Rias was snapped back to reality with Kiba's shout, and the severed arm behind her had suddenly launched towards her.

 _ **DON!**_

But before the arm could make contact, Issei appeared beside Rias and deflected the attack with the back of his fist. The deflection was set with such force that the top half of the severed arm's palm was easily destroyed.

 _ **Thud!**_

"...I.. T-Than—"

Rias couldn't express her gratitude before all of the severed arms around the pit began attacking her and her peerage.

 _ **GOGOGOGO!**_

And the second chaos ensued, Alkassa charged up his one attached arm and used the strength in it to make an attempt to escape.

"Nyahahahahaha! Take that, Gremory! You won't be getting me today! I'm a survivor! I'll escape and live to see another day, just like I always have!"

Alkassa, using the strength in his arm, launched himself in an attempt to jump onto a building under construction, and escape.

 _ **TON!**_

"Nyahahahahahaha!"

Alkassa laughed maniacally in midair, believing himself to have escaped. But that laughter was cut short, because the building before him had a figure already standing where he would soon arrive.

"Ahahahaha— Eh?"

It was Issei. He was already standing in the place Alkassa would have landed in.

"Ah."

—Time slowed down for Alkassa. Seconds felt like they had suddenly become minutes, and what should've been a swift landing, was now more akin to a slow motion glide.

For some reason, he couldn't remove his eyes from the form of Issei ahead of him. Issei's silhouette, which was illuminated by a construction light from behind, despite having a shadowy appearance, there was something calming about its stillness. It was like gazing upon something ethereal.

The shape of the being that was going to end you, end everything that you are, you once were, and ever will become, there was something oddly captivating about it.

Once Alkassa could finally make out those eyes in the darkness of the silhouette, not red, but green, shimmering eyes— once he laid eyes upon those, Alkassa felt the need to close his own.

He understood now, why Issei had told him that talking to one's prey was meaningless.

 _ **Every moment before death**_ — _ **is silent.**_

 _ **BAAAM!**_

—And with one kick of Issei's leg, the top half of the Stray Devil's large torso was eradicated. In one moment, the Stray Devil known as "Alkassa", disappeared from existence. And the leftover body crashed down to the ground far below.

 _ **DOOON!**_

The moment that the body made contact with the ground, all of the severed arms ceased their movements and fell limp.

"..Are you alright, Asia?"

Raynare, who protected Asia from one of the severed arms with her light spear, asked Asia that.

"Y-Yes... Thank you, Raynare-san.."

"..Yeah."

Raynare removed her light spear from the dead arm, with sweat running down her face, and shaky hands.

—It was the first time she had protected Asia from anything that was a legitimate threat. And she did it without even thinking.

"Oy."

Issei, who had descended from the construction building, approached Asia and Raynare. For some reason, Raynare felt nervous.

"Are you okay, Asia?"

"Y-Yes, Ise-san.."

Issei walked past the two of them, but not without briefly placing a hand on Raynare's shoulder and whispering to her.

"Good job."

He walked away, towards Rias and her servants, without saying anything else. Though it was ever so subtle, Raynare felt a small sense of pride in herself.

"Are you unharmed, Buchou?"

"..Yes, Yuuto, I'm fine."

The Devils noticed Issei approaching them, and Rias tried to express her gratitude to him again.

"Ise, thank you, you saved me… You… I was.."

Rias could think of nothing more to say. Issei's expression, though it looked bored on the outside, Rias felt she could only interpret as disappointment. Perhaps because she was disappointed in herself.

"..."

Issei didn't say a word to Rias. After staring silently at her for a few seconds, he walked away without a sound. Rias felt the desire to call out to him, but her words were caught in her throat and never escaped.

"Let's go, you two."

Issei quickly returned to Asia and Raynare and motioned for them to follow. The two girls followed him without question.

Rias wanted to call out to the group, but out of shame, she couldn't bring herself to do it..

—While walking home, Issei mentioned an earlier subject to Raynare.

"Raynare."

"..What is it?"

"You're stronger than all of them."

"..!"

Raynare was surprised to hear Issei's declaration.

"..Even more powerful than Rias and her queen?"

"No.."

"Eh?"

Issei clarified while keeping his deadpan expression straight ahead of him.

"...But you are stronger."

* * *

 **Part 3**

"Neh, neh, Yuuma-san? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Do you have any boys that you like right now? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours!"

"Hey, have any guys hit on you since you've transferred? If the two perverts hit on you, just tell us. We'll make sure the kendo club takes care of it."

Raynare released an exasperated sigh, finding her attempt at shutting out the world to be futile.

—It's a fairly "normal" morning in Kuoh Academy, much to Raynare's dismay. She has been attending the school for a few days and already she's been constantly bombarded with random students' questions, daily. Even now, her desk is surrounded by female students she doesn't recognize, throwing countless annoying questions at her that she couldn't bother to answer.

In all of her life, she has never found humans so unbearable.

But, for the sake of Asia, she has to try her best to keep her composure. If Asia realizes that she hates interacting with humans for no reason, she'll assume that Raynare hates school entirely. That would only make Asia sad.

So, she'll have to deal with it. But if it isn't an infuriating experience..

"Hey, hey, hey, girls. Break it up, let her breath, will you?"

While Raynare was dreading her current situation, two girls cut through the group in front of her. One girl with short, pink hair, and another with brown hair tied into a ponytail.

"Alright, you all. Break it up, disperse, let us talk with her, will ya?"

Thankfully for Raynare, the group of girls dispersed quickly. Unfortunately, she now was obligated to interact with these two new girls she's never met.

The girl with pink hair introduced herself to Raynare first.

"Hey, hope they weren't bothering you too much. I'm Katase, nice to meet you."

"...Ah, no, not much. Thanks."

Of course, they were actually bothering Raynare very much. But, it's probably best if she doesn't say that. Katase extended a hand to Raynare and Raynare shook it.

"I'm.."

"Amano Yuuma, right? Pretty much everyone knows you now."

"..Ah, that so?"

"And I'm Murayama, hi~."

The brown haired girl introduced herself next with a hand shake. Raynare shook hers as well, wondering why she was now stuck with these two after losing the other girls.

"So, you, Asia, and Hyoudou must be good friends, right? You're always walking to school and back with them. You live near each other?"

Out of curiosity, Katase asked Raynare that. Raynare, who was a bit hesitant to answer, glanced at Asia beside her. Asia maintained a quiet and shy attitude. She wasn't the best when it came to more "outgoing" people, she was still getting used to it.

"...Uh, well.. Asia and I live with each other."

To that reply, Katase and Murayama both made shocked expressions.

"What?! You mean you live with Hyoudou too?!"

"Ah."

Raynare then realized that it must have been common knowledge that Asia lived with Issei. Honestly, that made things easier.

" Oh, yeah, I do. We all live together."

At that moment, Katase and Murayama both whipped their heads towards Issei, who was mindlessly staring out of a window.

[Partner, those two women from what you call "kendo" are looking at you.]

 _'I know, Ddraig, I'm doing a thing called "ignoring" them.'_

"Hey, Hyoudou, don't ignore us!"

Katase and Murayama shoved their faces into Issei's personal space, forcing him to acknowledge their presence.

"...Ah, Katase, Murayama. Didn't notice you."

"How come every transfer student is getting sent to your house?! Do you own some type of student exchange home or something?!"

"Right out of the gate, huh.."

Issei sighed. It was going to be annoying when word would spread about Raynare's current home. It's even more annoying to deal with these two right now. They are what you would call, the "persistent type".

"..Look, it's basically just a coincidence. Asia came from Italy a couple months ago and had nowhere to stay. We bumped into each other and the rest was history. As for R… Yuuma. Uh, well, she came from a different place too, but under weird-er circumstances. She was from..up north. And then she came to Kuoh with no prospects, we met by accident, and I offered her a place to stay. End of story."

[You certainly brushed over some vital details. Also, "up north", quite the jest, partner.]

On the outside, Katase and Murayama acted as one unit, sharing a reaction of skepticism. Katase leaned in closer to Issei, her eyes narrowed.

"Hmm… Quite the coincidence, meeting two transfer students who didn't have a place to go and asking them to stay at your place… It's almost like they were actually your girlfriends from afar or something?"

"G-Girlfriend..?!"

Asia, who had been silent up until now, developed a flushed face in the background. Issei rolled his eyes at Katase's hypothesis.

"Knock it off, will ya? They needed a place to stay, I offered. End of story…. Besides, it's not like we don't have any room anyway.."

Issei finished that by resting his chin on his palm and returning his gaze to the window. Katase was able to pick up on that hint.

"..Oh, right… Sorry.."

Issei just shrugged.

"..It's fine."

Just as Katase and Murayama were looking at each other awkwardly, a more vibrant personality came in to destroy their atmosphere.

"Yaho~, I heard someone say "girlfriend", so as a result, I have arrived according to your summons."

The miscellaneous character that appeared was the perverted glasses wearing girl, Aika Kiryuu. Katase and Murayama didn't look too amused with her appearance, Murayama expressing it verbally.

"No one 'summoned' you, "lady megane-chan". Honestly, do you just appear whenever anybody mentions anything related to dating?"

Murayama meant it as a jab, but Kiryuu smiled proudly.

"Of course I do. It's a subject I know much about after all. More importantly, I heard Asia's voice repeating the word "girlfriend", and if it's to do with Asia, then you can be rest assured that I'm there. Isn't that right, Asia—"

Kiryuu turned around to face Asia, but she caught Raynare's gaze first. Raynare was not giving her a friendly smile, to say the least.

"..Ah, hello again."

Kiryuu tried to greet Raynare with a handshake, but Raynare didn't take it. She just stared at her, which made Kiryuu feel awkward on the inside. The two had met once before, but Raynare refused to greet or interact with Kiryuu at that time too. For whatever reason, Raynare does not seem to like Kiryuu much.

Kiryuu retracted her hand and acted as if nothing happened, instead returning her attention to Asia.

"Anyway, if it's advice about boyfriends you need, I'm your gal. Asia, you particularly require such a thing, don't you? After all, you are aiming for—"

"—Waah! N-No, don't say it!"

Asia covered Kiryuu's mouth before she could continue, causing her voice to be reduced to a muffled sound in Asia's palms.

"..Even when her mouth is covered, she still talks… It's like her mouth is a speakerphone or something."

"Can you mute it?"

Katase and Murayama remarked to each other. Issei rolled his eyes again at all of their antics. He always wondered why it couldn't just be peaceful and quiet. That's why he prefers being with Asia and Koneko the most. Asia is used to his silence and feels comfortable with it. Koneko is already a quiet person, so it was easy just to sit with her and say nothing. Hell, even Raynare is more pleasant to deal with, since she doesn't talk much either.

Then again, Raynare just became oddly similar to Issei ever since she started living with Asia and him. Not that it bothers him. If anything, it makes things easier.

"..Um, hey, Hyoudou?"

Issei's train of thought was interrupted by Murayama. She was messing with her fingers in a bashful manner, with Katase acting a similar way behind her.

"Y-You go to the same club as Rias-senpai, don't you?"

"..Yeah, that's right. Why?"

"..No, well… It's just, um… A few of us girls have noticed recently that Rias-senpai is acting, um, weird, lately? Or something like that. I mean, she still greets everybody in a nice way, if we say good morning.. But, uh, she also looks..different, sometimes."

Katase leaned forward and gave her input as well.

"Sad. She looks sad."

"Uh, yeah, kinda.. She just looks like she's always thinking about something. Something unpleasant, maybe? I don't know. Maybe we're assuming too much… I know it's not our place to ask, but we wanted to see if you could, you know, check up on her? You're a reliable guy, I think. So maybe you'll be able to figure it out, if you ask..?"

Issei made an expression of annoyance. "Reliable guy"? It must have been Kiryuu who convinced them of something like that. So she is causing trouble for him after all.

"Hah? Just ask her yourself. What am I, her slave?"

The implication of that phrase was probably lost on anyone that wasn't Asia or Raynare. But Katase still contested Issei's point.

"But you go to the same club as her! Surely you can try to do something about it! Or at the very least, just ask!"

"Hell no, I couldn't be bothered."

Issei scratched his neck in an uninterested manner, while Katase and Murayama glared at him. But Asia seemed to agree with the duo's sentiment.

"..But, I am also worried. Rias-san has been, um, absent-minded lately… I think that it may be bad for her safety, if it stays this way.."

Asia said that with a certain implication while looking at Issei.

"See! Even Asia is saying the same thing! Now you have to do something about it, right?!"

Even though Katase was yelling it in Issei's face, he refused to make eye contact with her. Instead, he glanced towards Asia, who had a worried face.

"..."

He clicked his tongue and turned away.

"Tch… Yeah right… Not my problem."

Katase and Murayama simultaneously frowned at Issei's response. Asia, not being able to shake off the worry, was also frowning in the background. Raynare only took care to notice Asia's reaction, and pondered over it herself.

Issei ignored the rest of the world as it continued moving, preferring to lose himself in his own thoughts.

—To lose oneself in thought, to become "distant", distracted.

Was there ever a time when Issei lost himself so deeply in thought that he wasn't able to react to something dangerous? That's never happened, so far as he knows. Perhaps it's because he has the instincts of a dragon, but even when he was a child, he was never so foolish. Was he..?

No, that's wrong… There was one time.

The day he lost his eye. That day, he was distracted by his thoughts.

He was too concerned with sparing the lives of the many brainwashed Genesis members to realize that he was being aimed at. By the moment he realized it, he had already lost his eye, and there was a hole in his face and brain.

A thought which should've been inconsequential to him, ended up costing him his eye and a piece of his brain.

—All because he was too concerned with the thought of disappointing the woman he loved.

….

….

He remembered the way Rias reacted to his snide remark about her peerage.

 _("..I'm very proud of this peerage.. The Gremory peerage…. Of course, I am proud to be a Gremory as well…")_

….

..Perhaps she is dealing with a situation that could've been similar, in some way..?

….

Well, it wasn't really Issei's problem, was it?

* * *

—Later, the same night.

"I will take a bath first then. Would you like to join me, Raynare-san?"

"..Sure."

Asia and Raynare decided to take a bath ahead of Issei, leaving him to think to himself in his room. He sat down at his desk, where his newly purchased desktop computer was at, and leaned back in his swivel chair.

For some reason, he couldn't get today's subject regarding a certain crimson haired Devil out of his head. It was nagging him.

But why? Was it because he considered the idea of her and Issei's circumstances somehow being similar? He knew they weren't. From what he can piece together, it has to do something with her family? If that's the case, then they are in no way similar. Issei went through something like that due to the person he loved. It wasn't because of family.

So then why, if he realizes the contrast, does it bother him still? Perhaps he pities her? After all, even Devils have instincts. The fact that those instincts of hers can be overcome simply by distracting thoughts, perhaps it was something to pity. She is still a novice, it seems.

...But that wasn't it either. It wasn't that Issei pitied her. That couldn't be it, because it implied that he saw her as "pathetic" for it. That wasn't true. He didn't. He wasn't sure why, but he just didn't. So then what is it? Why wouldn't he be able to just ignore it?

Even today in the clubroom, after school, he caught himself glancing over at the bratty Devil woman. She was particularly distant this day. There was even a point when she spoke privately to Himejima in another room, only to return with a bit of nervousness added to her demeanor. Though it was subtle, Issei was perceptive enough to notice it. It was like looking at someone who was running out of time. Comparable to...desperation.

But even still, Issei doesn't understand why he cares. If he doesn't relate to her, and he doesn't pity her like a fool, then why? Why can't he get it out of his head?

….Was this simply a pure sense of sympathy?

"...Tch."

Issei leaned even further back into his swivel chair, allowing him to get a full view of his white ceiling above him.

 _'...Who am I becoming?..'_

[Is it such a bad thing, to sympathize with a Devil?]

 _'..It's not my style..'_

[That church girl is changing you, partner.]

For some reason, Issei let out an unconscious laugh.

"Haha!"

There was a fond smile on his face.

 _'...History repeats itself, huh…'_

But soon, that smile faded off into a sad frown.

"...Church girl..?"

—Although the ceiling above his head was a blank white, he was still able to make a face out of it.

A face that he so dearly longed to see again.

"...What would _you_ want me to do…?"

….

….

And then, there was light.

 _ **SHIIN!**_

(—?!)

Right behind Issei's chair, a magic circle appeared on the floor. Perhaps because he was lost in thought, he didn't sense it preemptively, and instead noticed the light first.

Ironic.

"...That seal is.."

A magic circle bathed in crimson light, and a beautiful form that appeared with crimson locks. There was no doubt about who. Rather, the question was the same as always.

"...Why?"

When the light faded away, the woman with crimson hair spoke.

"...Ise.."

She uttered his name, her face stuck with an expression of resignation.

But what exactly could she have resigned herself to?

"...Gremory…."

Due to surprise, and an old habit, Issei acknowledged the Devil— Rias, with her surname instead.

To this, Rias lowered her head, masking her expression from him.

"...That's right."

"..?"

Issei was still recovering from his initial shock, and as such, he had no reaction to her currently ambiguous attitude.

Nevertheless, Rias..

"...Ise."

..unexpectedly approached Issei, backing him up to his desk. He was quickly cornered.

And then she uttered the most unintelligible line.

"...Make love to me."

.

.

.

.

.

.

"...Hah?"

* * *

 **End**

 **Alright, everyone. Get your reviews out while you can. You have a limited amount of time. Why? Well, my long-time fans may know... All I can say for now is: review quickly. You don't have very long..**

 **What do you think of Issei's decision to train Raynare? What did you think about the encounter with Alkassa?**

 **And by far the most interesting questions:** **What do you think is going to happen next chapter? What is Issei going to do about a certain situation concerning a certain character next chapter?**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy, hurry.**

 **You're about to freeze for a sec.**


	18. Chapter 18: Crimson

**I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, HOLY SHIT.**

 **MY EXPLANATION IS DOWN BELOW AT THE END.**

 **NOW LET'S NOT WASTE ANY MORE TIME.**

* * *

 **SCENE**

"I want you to take my virginity. Immediately."

—That was what Rias requested of Issei, right after abruptly appearing in his room.

Of course, Issei's reaction was a profound confusion.

"...What?"

Rias took Issei by his arms and pushed him onto the bed.

"Hurry, get on the bed. I will get ready for now."

Because of his confusion, he wasn't really able to retaliate. He merely sat down on the bed, confused.

Meanwhile, Rias began stripping her clothes off of her body.

"...Wait.."

Issei shook his head while Rias continued stripping, as if he was gradually returning to his senses.

"..What are you..?"

However, Issei was still too bewildered to even formulate a sentence. He couldn't understand for the life of him what was happening.

It wasn't until Rias, now clad only in her underwear, leaned closer to Issei and tried to lift up his shirt, that he reacted..

Issei caught her hands midway up his abdomen.

"Oy."

Rias hesitated when she caught a glimpse under his shirt, realizing that there was a certain item pressed up against his skin.

"...That cross would make things difficult for us.. It's best to remove it for now."

—Inside the depths of his mind, Issei heard the sound of something snapping.

 _ **Creak!**_

Issei stood up from the bed so quickly that, to Rias, it appeared as if he unexpectedly grew in size.

Either way, bigger or not, he would always end up towering over her regardless.

"—Being a "King" of Devils does not make you a king of dragons, Gremory."

Issei's large figure leaned forward slightly, closer down to Rias, while narrowing his eyes. To call his form "intimidating" was an understatement, as always.

"Now. Why - are you - here, Gremory?"

The air then became silent and heavy, following Issei's question. Rias hesitated to answer. Her head lowered, her bangs hanging over and shading her face.

She asked Issei in a quiet voice.

"…...Ise…. Do you hate me?"

Assuming that her question could possibly be the reason this was about, Issei's firm expression softened a bit. He answered Rias's question while averting his gaze.

"...No."

—That's right. That was the answer Issei found within himself. He has spent a long time thinking about it, but he was finally able to come up with an answer. That was his answer. And he was finally able to say it properly.

A small smile grew on Rias's face.

"...I'm glad."

Rias placed her hands on Issei's hips.

"..Then, is my body not good enough?"

Issei dreaded having to answer questions like these.

"...Your body is fine.. That's not.."

"I've thought about all sorts of things, but this is the only method left."

Issei's gaze returned to Rias, and his eyes narrowed again.

"...Method for what?"

Issei asked suspiciously, but Rias seemed to ignore it and went on about incomprehensible things.

"..If there is evidence for it, then they can't complain about it. The only person close to me who is able to do it with me is you….. Yuuto won't do. He is a pure knight. He would decline, for sure…. That's why, I thought, perhaps if it was you.."

Issei placed his hands on Rias's shoulders, keeping her at an arm's length away.

"What are you getting at, Rias?"

"...Ise, you don't hate me.."

"..So what if I don't?"

"...But you still hate me my family…don't you?"

Issei's eyes narrowed even further.

"...Who knows…. But if I do..?"

Rias's little smile appeared to be somewhat of a sad one.

"...That's alright if you do… In fact, it's fine that way…. Because if you do, then I want to give you a chance.."

"..A 'chance'? A chance for what?"

Rias said it while removing one of her bra strings from her shoulder.

"A chance for _release_."

"...Release?"

Rias explained as she removed her other bra string, leaving her hands to be the only thing holding up her bra by their cups.

"...An _outlet_ … If you really do hate my family, Ise, then perhaps you'd like to take it out on something… Perhaps you'd like to take it out on me..? I'm sure even someone like you has _frustrations_ , of some sort… Whether sexual or not.. And I think that even you would have desires as well… If all of that is correct, then...why don't you _use_ me, Ise? If you wish for a release, you can let it out on me… It doesn't matter if you're rough. I can handle it. It's my first time, so I'm inexperienced. But if you are going to take the lead, then I'll leave it to you… Even if it's unpleasant for me..."

Quite frankly, Issei didn't even know what to say to Rias. But Rias dropped her hands, allowing her bra to fall to the floor. Her large breasts were now fully exposed.

"...Do you have those frustrations, Ise? It's okay…. You can take them out on me…."

Rias grabbed Issei's left hand and brought it up to her chest, placing it right onto her breast.

"..I'll take it without a complaint.."

And she ended that with a very helpless smile on her face.

 _ **Badump**_ , _**Badump**_ , _**Badump**_..

Issei could feel her heart beating through the palm of his hand..

….

—He was speechless.

Frustrations? Perhaps Issei did have those, from time to time..? He certainly was a complicated person, even to himself. He didn't always understand his own feelings.

Does he hate Gremory itself? He knows that what happened "that day" was not Rias's fault. She was only a child. But what about her family?

Does he hate the existence of that family as a whole? He isn't entirely sure. Maybe he actually does. It isn't as if all of that burning hatred and contempt contained within him simply disappeared into thin air.

So if he does hate the Gremory, then what does he do with those feelings? Does he just let them fester inside himself forever?

His initial plan when returning to Kuoh was to wait. Wait for someone to come find him. Whether it be Devils, Fallen-Angels, or even God himself. He wanted to wait, wait for them to appear on his front doorstep. And when he refuses to join them, he would kill them and become their enemy.

 _Perhaps he would become an enemy to all of the supernatural world. And he would say to them, "Come get me."_

..Whatever the case, things didn't turn out that way. Things have changed.

Now, Issei has Asia. Issei is no longer alone. He has Asia now, and yes, even Raynare as well... So then what is he supposed to do? He certainly can't endanger Asia.

As of currently, he has made enemies of no one. Not the Devils, not "Grigori", and not even the God he loathes. He is nothing but a bystander at this point. And he has nothing left to direct his hatred towards. Nothing but himself. And that hate will do nothing but sit there, growing, and eventually tearing him apart from the inside… That is, if it wasn't doing that already...

Issei is then reminded of those words, that a certain Fallen-Angel named "Bal", left him with:

 _("That hatred of yours - it's gonna drive you crazy.")_

….

But Issei can't just let that happen, can he? He has Asia to look after now. He may have been training Raynare for a while already, but she's not enough to protect her. Not yet. And even if she was, losing his mind would only make Asia sad. And even more importantly, he would likely end up endangering her with just himself.

…If that was the case, then he certainly had to do something. He can't just let things go on as they are. Because no matter how hard he may try, he can't forget his hatred. His rage can never fade away for nothing. He will never get closure.

And that means that he only has one option left.

"...An outlet..?"

Issei muttered those words with his gaze stuck to the ground. The only part of Rias in his vision was her feet, until he started moving his eyes further upward.

—An 'outlet'? Something to release his frustrations on, whether good or bad?

Issei was never a sexually driven being, so far as he remembers.

But perhaps if it wasn't even about that, he could use that part of himself for something. Perhaps if he could release whatever sort of frustrations he had trapped within himself, no matter what type they may be, he could remain stable. Perhaps he could maintain a healthy mentality. Perhaps he could keep control of himself.

"..An…outlet.."

—Issei's eyes began examining every part of Rias's body.

..If he really blames the Gremory; if he really hates the Gremory… Then what better way to get back at them then to target their current heir? What better than to kill their heiress and end their bloodline?...

But he can't kill Rias. He knows that. That would be too much. Even he isn't so heartless, no matter what he may think.

But if not kill her, then what's the next best thing..? The next best option would be to disgrace and dishonor that family entirely.

Disgrace the Gremory. Dishonor the Gremory. Make them regret what happened to Kuoh. Make them regret what happened to his parents.

 _And what better way to do such a thing, than to defile their heiress? What better than to violate and make her his own?_

A Dragon of Domination takes what it wants. It does as it pleases.

And what better way to disrespect the Gremory than by deflowering their heiress? What better way to damage the pride of Gremory than to steal their heiress's innocence?

—Issei's other hand slowly raised itself, as if it was also about to reach out for Rias's body. His eyes had an incomprehensible look in them.

..Besides, it should be a fairly easy thing to accomplish.

Frustrations? Issei has a few. But desires? Issei only has one.

To see that unforgettable woman once again...

That's why, perhaps if he were to simply fool his own conscious, it would be easy.

 _Perhaps, if he was able to remind himself of that loose resemblance that the Devil shared with that beloved person from his memories... Then, it would be easy.._

 _..So, so easy.._

… _._

… _._

 _《_ _Right, Hyoudou Issei?_ _》_

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 _ **("Écaille~!")**_

—.

...No.

—Without that, that smile he could never forget, a mere physical resemblance - is worth absolutely nothing.

"...A.."

And after being struck with the image of that unforgettable smile, Issei was suddenly snapped back to his senses.

 **[—?!]**

Issei retracted his hand from Rias's bosom and lost his balance. As if he was suddenly dropped back down into the real world, he became dizzy and staggered past Rias, towards his desk.

"...Ise? What's wrong?... Am I truly not good enough?"

"..N-No, Rias, just..!"

Issei held his face in one hand while using the other to support his weight on the desk.

What was he about to do? "Defile"? "Deflower"? "Dominate"? What is wrong with him? What sort of solution is that? Using another person as a tool for "release", did he really just consider doing something like that? Using a friend as a means to an end, was he really almost okay with that?

Perhaps he truly has lost his mind..

 _ **SHIIN!**_

Then, another magic circle with the same crest appeared on the floor. Another Gremory crest. Issei was shocked to see it, assuming that another member of Rias's group was here to find her. But Rias's reaction was a deep sigh.

"...It looks like I was too late.."

To Issei's surprise, what appeared instead of one of Rias's servants - was a beautiful, silver haired maid.

The moment she noticed Issei and Rias, the maid spoke with a blank face and an astonished voice.

"Are you trying to break the agreement by doing something like this?"

Rias's eyebrow twitches after hearing that.

"If I don't go this so far, then Outo-sama and Onii-sama will not listen, right?"

"Both Sirzechs-sama and the master will be saddened when they find out that you tried to give your purity to someone lowly like this."

Issei, who was standing at the side, was left completely uninformed on the circumstances. He didn't understand any of it.

 _'..Sirzechs-sama? The master?... The hell is going on?'_

[..Sirzechs… I recognize that name. Sirzechs Gremory?]

 _'You know that Devil, Ddraig?'_

[...He may have been involved in my original destruction and sealing.]

 _'..!?'_

While Issei was communicating with Ddraig, Rias chided the maid for the rude remark regarding him.

"My purity is mine and mine alone. What's wrong with giving it to someone I acknowledged? And don't call Ise "lowly". You don't know the first thing about him. People like you, Onii-sama, and Otou-sama could never understand why I chose him. He is more than you can imagine. Certainly much more of a man than Raiser, at least..."

After Rias finished that confident declaration, the maid then directed her full attention to the person standing at the side, Issei.

The maid bore her cold, uncomfortable gaze through Issei's body. Issei returned a stare, but it was more hostile than the maid's own.

 _'...Ddraig, this Devil is..'_

[Yes, she is powerful. Dangerously so. I would advise against instigating anything.]

—The two remained in a cold standoff with each other, not even exchanging a word between each other. Issei couldn't help but note to himself that he felt the atmosphere becoming cold. That was the opposite effect that his aura usually has. Likely because it's not his aura..

"..Is this person your servant, Ojou-sama?"

The maid asked Rias that without removing her gaze from Issei. Rias answered hesitantly, feeling the atmosphere become tense.

"..No, he is human… He is my good friend."

Issei and the maid's staring contest continued, with the air becoming more tense and heavier by the second. It began to feel like the maid was gazing even deeper inside of Issei.

"...This person is human, you say?... He is more than just a human, isn't he? He has a Sacred Gear... It must be a special type."

At that point, Issei's instincts started sounding off, and he felt threatened. For some reason, the thought of being frozen permeated through his subconscious.

That was, until Rias stood in between the two, right in the maid's face.

"—What Ise is or isn't does not concern you. He is my ally and my friend. That is all that you need to know. If you wish to antagonize him any further, I will not forgive even you, Grayfia."

Rias defended Issei..

Truthfully, Issei wasn't sure how to feel about it. There weren't many people in this world who would defend him. At least, not amongst those who know what he really is. The only person who defended him for everything that he was, was of course, the woman he loved… Perhaps Asia would also do the same at this point?

..Whatever it makes him feel, Issei knows one thing. It certainly makes him feel guilty for even considering to "use" Rias the way he planned to..

Acknowledging Rias's determination, the maid, now identified as Grayfia, relented and stepped away. She proceeded to pick up Rias's clothes and redress her.

"Anyway, you are the next heiress to the house of Gremory, so please do not show your skin to a man so recklessly. Even more so if you are in the middle of a situation like this."

After placing Rias's bra back on her bosom, Grayfia turns towards Issei and bows her head.

"How do you do. I am a maid that serves the house of Gremory. My name is Grayfia. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"...Tch."

Issei simply clicked his tongue in response to Grayfia's polite introduction. Clearly, her first impression wasn't a good one. He turned away while Grayfia continued dressing Rias.

"Grayfia, did you come here of your own accord? Or because you were sent by the household? ...Or is it Onii-sama?"

Rias made an unpleasant face, emblematic of a girl her age. It was a rare sight to see. Though, Issei had seen her make similarly angry expressions before.

"All of the above."

Grayfia answered honestly. Hearing that, Rias gives a deep sigh of resignation.

"..Is that so? You, who is my Onii-sama's [Queen], came to the human world personally. So it can only mean one thing... I understand."

Finally, Rias's body was loosely dressed, and she addressed Issei directly.

"I'm sorry, Ise. Let's make it so that thing from earlier never happened. It seems that I wasn't thinking straight either. Let's forget about today's incident."

Issei turned around and gave Rias a wry smile.

"Hmph… Just forget about it, huh. Yeah, thanks for bargin' in too. I'll just pretend this never happened~. Tch, damn Devils.."

"This person is your "friend"?"

Rias ignored Grayfia's comment.

"Grayfia, let's go back to my room. I will listen to what you have to say there. Akeno can also attend, right?"

"The 'Priestess of Thunder'? I don't mind. It's a must for High-Class Devils to have their [Queen] by their side at all times."

"Very well. Ise."

Rias approached Issei for an unknown reason. Unexpectedly, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Please take this as an apology for today. I troubled you a lot. Let's meet again in the clubroom tomorrow, as usual."

Rias gave that farewell to the bewildered Issei, and quickly disappeared in a flash of light, alongside Grayfia.

 _ **SHIIN!**_

Issei was left alone in his room, silent.

….

[She hasn't made anyone aware of our presence, partner.]

 _'...Yeah… She kept me a secret..'_

Issei sat down at his desk again, in silence. He brought his hand up to look at it.

"..."

—The palm through which he felt Rias's pulse…. As if from fear, it was beating furiously.

….

….

And from beyond his door, Issei heard a voice.

"Ise-san! We are done with the bath!"

* * *

 **Part 2**

The next morning, Issei, Asia, and Raynare are walking to school, as usual. The only unusual detail was that Issei had a distant expression stuck on his face, as if he was in contemplation about something.

"Ise-san… Ise-san?"

Issei was snapped out of his stupor by Asia's voice.

"Ah, Asia. What is it?"

"..Are you okay?"

Asia asked that with a worried face. Issei couldn't help but feel a little guilty in concerning her.

"You and Raynare-san didn't do any morning training today, so I assumed that maybe you were bothered by something..?"

Issei averted his gaze in a dishonest manner.

"...No. I'm fine. I just decided to give Raynare a break, since she was sore from the other day."

Raynare mentioned no such thing. But she didn't contest Issei's story either. If Issei wanted to skip training, there was certainly a good reason for it. It would be the same with whatever reason he keeps getting lost in thought as well. He has a good reason for his behavior, Raynare is sure of it. She just doesn't know what that is, for the life of her.

..But if she isn't crazy, she could've sworn she sensed a Devil's presence in the house yesterday, when she and Asia were in the bath. Though, she chalked it up to Rias Gremory possibly bothering Issei about something menial, as her personality would suggest.

But what's even more odd is that Issei didn't scold Raynare for not reacting to a Devil's presence in their house. Almost as if Issei was acting like it didn't happen.

"..Is that so, Ise-san?"

"Yeah, that's right. I'm fine, so don't worry about me."

Issei finished that statement with a smile, in an attempt to reassure Asia. But that smile quickly faded away as he continued thinking.

The walk, up to a certain point, was quiet.

—It wasn't until the old school building was in sight that Issei halted his companions.

"Wait.."

"..What is it?"

Raynare asked him, her guard immediately being placed up when he reacted that way. If Issei had noticed it, he would have commended her for it. But he was too focused on the building ahead.

"..Walk faster."

Issei said that and nothing more. And so, the trio began walking towards the old school building at a faster pace than before.

When they entered the building, Raynare felt an unrecognizable presence that gave her chills. Little did she know that, that same presence was just in their house last night, but concealed.

Issei, however, recognized this presence already. And when he opened the doors to the clubroom, he was not wearing a friendly expression.

 _ **Dakun**_..

The doors to the clubroom opened, and the trio entered. When they entered, they noticed that all of Rias's peerage was already gathered. And for some reason, her servants were standing off to the side.

Issei felt the tension in the atmosphere and broke the silence.

"...Are we interrupting something?"

—And, of course, there she was.

Standing by Rias's desk, there was the "french maid" from yesterday. The one named "Grayfia". Raynare was trembling at the sight of her. She recognized the maid.

 _'...A s-silver haired maid?! In Rias Gremory's presence?! A maid that serves Gremory is..! That can't be..! T-The strongest Queen?!'_

"Raynare-san?"

Asia took notice of Raynare's shock, but Issei had his gaze locked onto Grayfia.

With the same cool and professional attitude as the night before, Grayfia responded to Issei's intrusion.

"Yes, in fact, you are. This meeting today is reserved for Rias Gremory and her servants. We would appreciate if you took your leave for today."

Issei's eye twitched in a subtle irritation. It's been a while since that's happened.

"Grayfia, I have made it clear to you that these are my friends. I will not have you disrespecting them any further. They may stay."

"No, I must object, Ojou-sama. This is a matter that concerns us Devils only. Only the Devils of Gremory may remain present."

Usually, Issei believes that he would exit almost immediately while saying, "whatever, not my problem."

..But for whatever reason, this time, Issei refused to leave.

"—Nah. Actually, I think we're gonna be staying here. Asia, Raynare, come on. Let's sit down."

Before Rias could have even defended Issei, he had already done it himself. He led the hesitant Raynare and Asia towards the empty sofa on the left side of the room, the couch that Rias's servants were standing behind. All the meanwhile, Grayfia kept her narrowed eyes on Issei.

Issei paid no mind to it, and instead, he smirked at Grayfia when he sat down.

"So, what exactly are we interrupting?"

Realizing that there was no helping it, Grayfia yielded.

"Shall I explain it to them, Ojou-sama?"

Grayfia suggested, but Rias declined with the raise of her hand.

"I'll do it…. Well, you see.."

However, before she could elaborate, Rias was interrupted by a bright flash of light that emanated from the room's corner.

 _ **SHIIIIN!**_

And with that flash of light, a minor formation of heat and flames seemed to follow.

 _ **Fooooom!**_

"..Phoenix."

From behind the couch that Issei's trio was sitting on, Kiba whispered that.

Issei was perplexed by the term.

 _'Phoenix? Does that mean that a fuckin' bird of fire is about to spawn in the middle of this room?... Didn't know those existed.'_

[Phoenix… I have heard that name. There is no doubt.]

 _'..Name? It's a name?'_

While Issei was questioning it, a person appeared from the unrecognizable magic circle and emerged from the flames.

 _ **Foom!**_

"Fuu~, it's been a while since I've been to the human world."

The one who stood in the magic circle's former position was a man in his mid-to-late twenties, who had handsome features, and was wearing a red suit. Since the suit was being worn casually, it was missing its tie and the top button was left undone. The man also had blond, punk-ish style hair, and blue eyes.

Issei couldn't help but note that the flames the man emerged from didn't feel very hot..? Maybe he just wasn't close enough.

The man then took a glance around the room and smiled when he saw Rias.

"Ah, my lovely Rias. I've come to see you."

Issei raised a brow at the man who had just appeared.

 _'...My lovely Rias?'_

Rias was looking at the man with half-closed eyes. She was certainly not giving him a warm welcome. The man didn't seem to care and approached Rias regardless.

"Now then, Rias. Let's go take a look at the ceremony hall. The date of the ceremony had been decided so it's best to take a look before then."

The man then grabbed Rias's arm without permission.

"...Let go of me, Raiser."

Rias demanded it in a low and sharp tone while shaking the man's hand off. She was clearly angry, but that didn't seem to bother the man either, and he just continued smirking.

—Issei was always a good judge of character. He could always tell whether someone had ulterior motives, bad intentions, or were just straight up bad people. It might have possibly been due to the influence of the Sekiryuutei, his instincts, or a natural skill. Whatever the case, he was good at seeing people for what they truly were. It's part of the reason why he could initially tell that Genesis cult members were suspicious.

That being said, he knows very well what category of person that this "Raiser" character fits into. From his attitude and appearance, he seemed like what Issei would refer to as an "arrogant prick". Unbothered by the feelings or opinions of others, a confident and intrusive personality. This type of person was not Issei's "cup of tea", to say the least.

In fact, if there was any type of person he hated in this world, it was people who were inconsiderate of others in most senses of the word, and acted superior based on superficial reasons like appearance, wealth, status, or prejudice. It was always a fun idea to Issei, the idea of forcefully "bringing them down to earth" with the rest of the population.

For all of the things that Issei could say about Rias, including her prideful attitude and general immaturity, he couldn't say that she was like "that".

—Thanks to all of this, Issei felt compelled to disrupt the man, "Raiser's", flow.

After all, the last thing you want people like this to do, is take control of the situation.

"Oooy~, uh, Razor-san? People usually don't walk into a room uninvited without an introduction~, you know?"

"Ah?"

Raiser turned around with an unpleasant expression, and looked at Issei with a face that said, "who the hell are you?"

Witnessing this, Grayfia decided to elaborate for Issei.

"Your name was Hyoudou Issei-sama, correct? This person is Raiser Phoenix-sama. He is a pure-blood High-Class Devil and the third son of the Phoenix clan."

"Heeeh~, is that so.."

Issei very clearly made it sound like he "couldn't give less of a shit" with his response. However, Grayfia continued and mentioned an interesting detail.

"He is also the future husband of the next Gremory heiress."

It took Issei a moment to register that.

"Hah?"

"He is engaged to Rias-ojou-sama."

 **[—?!]**

Raynare and Asia were shocked by this news.

 _'The heiress of Gremory is engaged to an heir of Phoenix..?! That sort of union, it's a dangerous one for the other sides…'_

"Uwaa… This person is Rias-san's fiancé.."

Meanwhile, Issei's reaction was..

"...Oh."

—Mild disappointment.

 _'..Somehow, I was expecting more than that.'_

* * *

 **Part 3**

"The tea made by Rias's Queen is superb."

"Thank you."

Raiser praised Akeno's ability to make tea, and though she was smiling, Akeno didn't do it with her usual attitude.

Rias was now sitting on the sofa across from Issei's trio, with Raiser, who sat down beside her and casually touched her hair, arms, and thighs. Obviously, this contact was unwelcome, as Rias constantly shook his hand off. But again, Raiser seemed unbothered.

Rias's servants, who were standing behind Issei's couch, were maintaining composure, but they were clearly uncomfortable with this man's presence. Raynare felt uneasy, and even paranoid, being in the presence of not only a Phoenix but also the [Strongest Queen]. She felt so uneasy that, without even being aware of it, she was unconsciously holding Asia's hand in a protective manner.

—Issei, however, was the most detached from the situation.

He wasn't focused on the context of the situation, of which he had no knowledge of. Nor did he seemed concerned with the fact that Ddraig felt a familiarity to both foreign Devils.

Instead, he was focused on nothing but "the phoenix" itself. His gaze was glued onto Raiser, examining his every movement and mannerism. It was almost like he was thoroughly analyzing him.

Raiser didn't fail to notice this, but wasn't able to comment on it due to what happened shortly after.

"Stop it already!"

Rias stood up with an anger filled voice that disrupted the uncomfortable silence in the room. She was staring daggers at Raiser, but Raiser maintained his usual smirk.

"Raiser, I've already told you many times before! I will not marry you!"

"Yeah, I've heard that before. But Rias, that won't do, you know? I think the situation of your household is quite serious."

"That is none of your concern! If I am the next heiress of Gremory, then I will choose my husband! My father, brother, and everyone in the clan are rushing it! Also, it was a promise that I would be free until I graduated from university in the human world!"

"That's right. You are basically free. You can go to college and you can do whatever you want with your servants. But your Otou-sama and Sirzechs-sama are worried. They are afraid your house will become extinct. We lost a great number of pure-blood Devils in the war. Even if the war has ended, the rivalry between the three sides hasn't. It's not uncommon for successors of pure-blood households to be killed as a result. So for a pure-blood Devil which is also a High-Class, getting together would be the obvious solution for the forces of us Devils. A pure-blood High-Class Devil. Even you know that these children will be important from now on, right?"

Raiser and Rias were now arguing about a topic that Issei didn't have extensive knowledge on. He didn't really care for the affairs or politics of Devils. Though, he does know that the Devil race was in a bad place after the war, which is why they created the reincarnation system.

Rias became quiet after Raiser began speaking on the serious topic, but her eyes did not lose their sharpness. Raiser continued after taking a sip of his tea.

"The newly produced Devils, the ones like your servants, they are expanding in numbers and strength. But that would make us, the pure-blood and High-Class with an old history background, lose our place. There are nobles who get close to reincarnated Devils because they are powerful. Well, that might be alright. The newly produced Devils are also important to our future. But we can't allow the pure-blood houses to become extinct, can we? You and I were chosen to prevent the pure-bloods from going extinct. My house is safe because I have my brothers, and even my sister. But your house is one with only two siblings. And your brother left your house. That would leave only you, Rias, who can inherit the house of Gremory. If you don't take a husband, the house of Gremory will go extinct in your generation. Are you trying to destroy the house that has been continuing for centuries? Because of the last war, there isn't even half of the Devils who used to be referred to as the [72 pillars] left. This marriage has the future of Devils on the line."

The 72 pillars. Issei vaguely recalls hearing of it from Rias before, though not by his own volition. It was something related to all of the major houses that made up the Devil race. And apparently, half of them went extinct thanks to the last war. At this point, Issei wasn't sure whether to feel sorry or relieved about it.

Who is he kidding, he probably doesn't give a shit and thinks it's hilarious.

All of that aside, it seems that this situation deeply involved the history and politics of Devils. It also involved a situation with the Gremory household as a whole. Rias's actions from last night were now starting to make sense to Issei. It was indeed about her family, but also the Devil race.

But, again, someone like him still didn't give a shit about any of that.

"I'm not going to crush my house. And I am willing to take a husband."

Hearing Rias's declaration, Raiser stood up with a large smile.

"Oh, to be expected of Rias! Then let's—"

"—But I will not marry you, Raiser."

Rias cut Raiser's celebration short and said it clearly.

"I will only marry the one that I acknowledge. Even the Devils from the old nobles house have a right to choose."

Hearing that, Raiser's attitude became unpleasant again and he even clicked his tongue.

"...You know, Rias. I'm also a Devil that carries the name of Phoenix behind me. I can't let that name get tarnished. I didn't even want to come some little old building in the human world. Rather, I don't like the human world all that much. The fire and wind of this world is filthy. For a Devil like me who rules fire and wind, I can't stand it."

Raiser then leaned closer to Rias and placed a hand on her chin.

"I will bring you back down to the underworld… Even if I have to burn all of your servants to do it."

And in that next moment, both Rias and Raiser flared their auras to their full extent.

 _ **Oooooooohhhhmmmmmm!**_

 _ **Ooooohhhhmmmmmm!**_

—But unfortunately for Raiser Phoenix—

 _ **Smack!**_

—That hand of his was slapped away from Rias's face by an unexpected character.

"...Ah, my hand slipped."

Hyoudou Issei.

….

….

The room was silent for a moment, as if everyone in it was stunned. Judging from their expressions, Rias and Raiser were certainly shocked to notice a figure that had suddenly appeared between them.

Issei, however, was more concerned with his own internal conflict.

 _'...What the hell am I doing?...'_

Issei didn't understand his own actions, nor his intentions. Perhaps they were too complicated, even for himself, at this point.

But he remembers asking Raynare once, how she was able to truly "feel" for Asia over time. Raynare only told him that she didn't fully understand it herself. But as time continued to pass, she decided for herself that "she would no longer question it, and simply allow herself to feel what she feels". And if she felt those feelings she didn't understand, then she would explore them by moving in accordance with them.

And thanks to that, Raynare one day became Asia's "friend".

Issei had been thinking to himself for a while, that perhaps he should take a note from Raynare's book and implement it into his own life. Simply feel what he feels, and act according to those feelings, without question. And after a while of doing that, perhaps he could finally understand himself better..?

Well, if he wants to do something like that, then there was definitely no better time than the present.

That's why, while looking at Raiser, he thought..

 _'...Ah, fuck it..'_

—With a great disdain in his eyes.

 _'..This bastard's annoying anyway.'_

Raiser took a second to register what had happened, then he scowled and said it in an irritated tone.

"...Hey, you lowly one. What do you think you are doing?"

Without the annoyed Raiser noticing, Issei smirked for a moment. Then, he placed his hand up to his chin and completely ignored Raiser's question, as if unbothered by him.

"...Hmm. They call you "Phoenix", huh? Say, what does that mean? Earlier you were talking about how you were a "master of fire and wind", and that this world's flames are "filthy". You also let out some flames when you appeared from the magic circle. Does that mean you're a Devil that specializes in flame magic or something? Or maybe you're actually like a phoenix bird in disguise? Like a shapeshifting one? I didn't think the Devil species were so complex."

Issei said it in a way that was sarcastic, though it was only easy to tell if you knew how he usually acted. But to Raiser, it was like speaking to a buffoon. Raiser furrowed his brows at Issei in a condescending manner.

"...Huh? What, you mean you're too uneducated to even know that? What's with that? Did Rias not teach you that properly? She clearly didn't teach you manners… Honestly, Rias, I'm shocked. I never believed you could be so irresponsible to your servants."

Rias's blood boiled in anger. But before she could even retort, Issei replied to Raiser with the tilt of his head, completely unfazed.

"Hm? I'm not Rias's servant though? I'm just a human."

Raiser made a surprised expression when he heard that.

"..Human? What? What is a human doing in a place like this, during a time when important Devil matters are being discussed? No, more than that, what kind of human are you, to know about Devils and such?... Not only that, but now that I realize it, there's even a Fallen-Angel here..?"

Raiser directed his gaze to Raynare, who flinched under it, tightening her grip on Asia's hand. It seems like he was too distracted with himself to notice Raynare before.

But Issei also stepped in front of Raiser's face, blocking his view of the two girls.

"Ah, who cares about that. More importantly, I remember asking _you_ a question. I asked you about that title— er, or name? Or whatever the fuck.. Um, 'Phoenix'. What does that mean?"

Issei asked that question in a manner that came off as ignorant, but it was done purposefully. Feeling an insult to his pride, Raiser fell for Issei's little mind trick.

"...Are you a fool? That is the name of a great family from ancient times. I am Raiser Phoenix of the legendary Phoenix clan. Didn't you understand that from the context, or are you seriously that dense?"

Issei rubbed his chin in a willfully ignorant manner again.

"Hmm… That's interesting. Definitely interesting.."

On Raiser's forehead, there was a vein that popped up and started pumping blood vigorously. For some reason, something about this human's attitude irritated him immensely.

"...Hey, what is your problem now?"

Issei said it as if he was thinking deeply about it.

"Nah, I was just thinking, you know… I mean, I'm just a human so I don't know much about Devils stuff. And you don't really have any presence in the human world, so of course I wouldn't know. But that just makes me think… It's kind of funny, you know? The fact that you act really high and mighty, but…"

Issei said it while stifling a laugh, but he still intentionally smiled at Raiser.

"I don't even know who the fuck you are, haha?"

Raiser's vein pumped blood through his head even more violently, and his eye below it twitched. Raiser was cracking.

"...Of course you don't. Lowlife humans like you couldn't even fathom how great existences like the Phoenix's are, let alone Devils themselves. You're nothing but worms of the earth which we tread on.."

"Oh? But I thought hell was below us humans?"

Raiser eye twitched harshly again.

"Oh, wait! I just thought of something!"

Issei snapped his fingers in realization. Then, for an unknown reason, he began laughing to himself. He was trying to "conceal" his laughter by doing it into his fist.

"Hehehe… Haha…"

Seeing this, Raiser's lips contorted in a slightly ugly way due to anger. Raiser was on the verge of breaking.

"...What are you laughing at, lowlife?"

Issei's laughter died into nothing, and he cleared his throat.

"Ah, heh…. No, it's nothing, my bad. It's just that… Well, you know, I just thought… Kuku.."

—Issei then pointed his finger towards Raiser and started wagging it in a circular motion. And he said it with a smile that threatened to burst out into laughter, in the most mocking tone he could ever muster.

 _"Yakitori~! Ya~ki~tori~!"_

 _ **SNAP!**_

And Raiser's composure broke.

 _ **GRAB!**_

Raiser instantly took hold of Issei's shirt collar, trying to lift him up by it, despite Issei actually being slightly taller than Raiser. Of course it was to no avail, since Issei didn't physically budge at all.

Moreover, Issei didn't mentally budge either. His reaction was a blank stare towards the ceiling, while Raiser growled at him.

"Listen here, you lowlife worm..!"

But Issei's deadpan expression doesn't mean that he took kindly to Raiser's actions.

"Oy.."

Raiser then experienced a sharp pain in his wrist. Issei's hand had gripped tightly around it. It was such a strong grip that Raiser's own grip, which he thought to be firm, was somehow gradually being pulled away.

"...Don't do that. You'll mess up my uniform."

Raiser struggled to keep his hold of Issei's collar, the fabric slipping through the grasp of his fingers as his hand was being slowly forced away.

Raiser's arm shook in his struggle against Issei's grip, but Issei's arm was firm. Once Issei had removed Raiser's hand from his shirt, he tossed Raiser's arm away as if it was nothing.

Raiser rubbed his wrist in disbelief. This wasn't the strength of a "human". This was much more..

"You..! Who are you? What are you?"

—Before Raiser's eyes, Issei's lips curved into a wicked smile to his question. And Issei took claim of a name that he never would have thought so fitting for him, until now.

 _ **"..I'm the beast from the east.."**_

….

Raiser, not understanding what Issei meant, only furrowed his brows in confusion.

"..What?"

From the sidelines, Rias was left speechless.

Issei was defending her…? She never thought she would see the day. But perhaps he found a similar dislike for Raiser as she did. That was understandable, at least. But still, she was surprised by Issei's actions anyway.

..And witnessing Raiser easily being thrown off by Issei, who was human, it gave her a deep sense of satisfaction..

"Raiser."

For that reason, Rias decided to reveal Issei's true identity to Raiser.

"This person is indeed a human, but he is no average human. Nor is he my servant."

Rias said it clearly, and with a smile on her face.

"This person is Hyoudou Ise, and he is this generation's current Red Dragon Emperor."

 **[—?!]**

Raiser made an expression of shock. Even the cold demeanored Grayfia's eyes widened slightly at the announcement, as if in realization of the truth.

"What?! This human— is the Sekiryuutei?!"

Raiser exclaimed in shock to the unexpected realization.

Issei shot Raiser another devious smile in response to his surprise.

"What's wrong, Yakitori-san?... You look scared.."

For a brief moment, Issei's eyes emitted a green light that exposed his reptilian looking eye. And something akin to fear might have flashed in Raiser's own.

"..!"

But after a few seconds, Raiser regained his composure and somehow returned to his smug demeanor. He snickered to himself, which turned into a full blown laugh.

"Hehehe… Hahahaha!"

Judging by Issei's flat expression, he was not as amused.

"Hahaha… I see, I see. Well then, that's my bad then. Looks like I was being the ignorant one. Forgive me for not realizing it. It makes sense now. As I thought, it would take the Sekiryuutei in order to hold me back like that. I shouldn't be surprised."

Raiser somehow worked a way to stroke his own ego through that situation. That seems about right.

"So you were the Sekiryuutei all along, huh? I had no idea you made such important friends, Rias. Not bad. But it looks like you couldn't convince him to join your peerage, huh. Well, I can't blame you— what was it, Hyoudou Issei? Yeah, Rias has potential, but she is still like a child. I can see why you refrained."

Rias was annoyed by Raiser's comments, but she held back from saying anything. She had a good feeling about how Issei would reply. Besides, seeing Raiser's initial distress at finding out about Issei's true nature was very entertaining.

Raiser randomly snapped his fingers.

"Ah, that's right! Why don't you join my peerage instead? My peerage is a special group that usually excludes males, but for the Sekiryuutei, I'll easily make an exception. Under me, you'll turn you into an excellent Devil. Ah, but what piece would you take? I have no free pieces so I would definitely have to trade one. A [Bishop], perhaps? No, a [Rook]. You have good physical strength despite being a human, so maybe that would fit you best. We'd have to test out your magical capability to find out first though…"

Raiser went on a speech about Issei's theoretical capability as a servant, even though he never even agreed. Issei's flat expression turned into a wry smile, and he started shaking his head with a laugh.

"Kuku…. Hahaha… Are you dumb? Hey, Yakitori. What's up with you? Are you all ego and no brain? You find out that I'm the Sekiryuutei and suddenly we're buddies? When did I ever even agree to become a slave to a shitty scumbag Devil like you?"

Issei gave Raiser a poetically condescending smile while holding out his arms.

"— _Are you seriously that fuckin' dense or something_?"

Raiser's eye twitched, and his smile faded from his face. He returned to the same threatening attitude he displayed with Rias.

"...Ah, I see.. You want to remain a lowlife worm your entire life then? Well, that's fine too. You'll die in less than a century. It doesn't concern me. But just because you're the Sekiryuutei doesn't mean that I'll let you do as you please. This matter concerns Devils, not you. So if you interrupt us again, then I will have to do something about it myself."

Hearing Raiser's threat, Issei broke out into an almost maniacal laughter.

"Wha… Whahahahahaha! You're gonna "stop" me!? Hahahahaha!"

While Raiser was feeling irked by Issei's reaction, Issei was smiling smugly.

"What do you take me for, some sort of vegetarian fellow? I'm not afraid of a grilled chicken like you. I'm a carnivore… More than you could imagine, in fact.."

Issei finished that sentence in a dark tone that unsettled Raiser's instincts. But consciously, Raiser felt more aggravated than anything.

"..But I'm not really interested in the affairs of Devils, you know. I'm just peeved by the existence of shitheads like you. So if you say that you'll remove me when I interfere… Then I only want to do nothing but intervene, you know?"

Issei smirked at Raiser, but Raiser glared daggers into Issei with a threatening tone of voice.

"...Hey, shitty human. I'm not talking about exclusion here. I'm talking about destruction. Don't think I'm playing around with you… If you interfere with this matter which doesn't concern you, I will kill you.."

Issei mocked Raiser, but his expression and tone soon became dark as well.

"Oooh~, scary…. Even someone like me can eat something besides raw meat, Yakitori bastard… In fact, I'll even take it if it's all burnt up too..."

Then, as if to mirror the standoff between Rias and Raiser, Issei and Raiser were now staring each other down with auras shrouding their bodies. Raiser's eyes emitted a yellow light, similar in color to his aura. But Issei's eyes contrasted their previous green hue, and now they were glowing red, with an aura similar to coagulated blood.

"— **Enough of this**."

—Just as Raiser and Issei were flaring their auras at each other, it felt like a chilly breeze blew through the room. The atmosphere felt cold, and there was a prickly feeling on their skins.

Of course, Issei's instincts led his gaze towards the silver haired maid standing at the sidelines.

Her gaze had an especially piercing effect, and her eyes were colored in a bluish hue.

" **I will not allow any sort of conflict to take place within this room, regardless of who it is started by. I was sent here by Sirzechs-sama to be a mediator, and that is what I shall do**."

The room fell silent.

Though both Raiser and Issei's auras disappeared, they didn't remove their glares from each other.

—After lowering the tension slightly, Grayfia contemplated something to herself.

What should she do, she wondered.

Originally, she was sent here by two certain individuals as a "mediator", as stated before. But her intention was to bring up the [last resort] that she was instructed to mention. The "last resort" for Rias. It was an inevitable outcome.

But now… The situation has changed. An unpredictable element has been introduced into the equation.

—The Sekiryuutei. The Red Dragon Emperor.

Grayfia didn't think she would have to deal with something like this. Her master's didn't prepare her for such a scenario. Rias has been hiding the existence of such a factor in her presence. For how long? It can't have been more than a few months, the grade year just started.

In any case, now, this Sekiryuutei, which is not a Devil of Gremory or Sitri, is starting a conflict with a family member of the Phoenix clan.

A rogue Sekiryuutei vs the third heir of Phoenix.

This was getting out of hand. This wasn't what 'Sirzechs-sama' and 'the master' planned for.

…Unless…

"You two— No, all of you. Do not make any rash decisions or take any drastic actions. There is something I must determine for myself. I will ask that you wait patiently for my return. That goes most especially for the two of you, Raiser-sama, Sekiryuutei."

Grayfia made that announcement which most of them didn't understand. Raiser and Issei still kept glaring at each other, despite Grayfia's words.

"...You heard her, Yakitori. Don't go causin' trouble now, ya hear?"

"...If it wasn't for her, I would have already scorched you with my flames."

"Heeeh~, that sounds terrible. Knowing your flames, I think I'd freeze to death before that happened though. Killing the Sekiryuutei with matchstick flames is impossible after all."

"Should we see about that?"

"Hoho~, yeah, please, it'll be funny."

Again, Raiser and Issei's eyes emitted lights while glaring at each other. But again, Grayfia shut it down.

"— **Enough. You two will separate from each other and wait for my return. Understood**?"

Raiser's glare lightened up slightly before Issei's did.

"...Well, if it is the 'strongest Queen' saying that to me, then even I must obey."

Raiser sat back down on the couch, but without removing his glare from Issei.

Issei, instead of taking a seat somewhere else, decided to crudely sit down on the coffee table right in front of Raiser. He also refused to remove his glare from Raiser.

"..Sitting on a table, don't you have any class?"

"I don't care what fuckin' class I fit into, as long as it isn't the class that says I'm a shitty bird-brain engaged to a high schooler who hates my fuckin' guts, I'm fine."

And so, their glaring contest continued.

—Grayfia decided that was good enough and went towards the next room to contact someone.

"W-Wait, Grayfia..!"

Rias stopped Grayfia before she could enter the side-room to contact that certain person.

"...What are you going to do?"

Rias asked that in a hesitant manner, dreading Grayfia's answer. Grayfia simply responded in a matter of fact tone.

"I will be contacting my master, of course. Excuse me."

Saying just that, Grayfia excused herself from the room and entered the extra room directly beside the clubroom. Rias began to feel nervous after realizing it.

 _'She's going to contact Onii-sama..! He doesn't know about Ise yet. To find out that I've been hiding him in Kuoh without anyone's knowledge… And now Ise and Raiser are squabbling… What is Onii-sama going to do?'_

"Onii-sama…"

Rias whispered it under her breath, but Issei didn't miss it.

So he knows that Grayfia's master is Rias's older brother, it seems.

—Meanwhile, in the next room that Grayfia was in, she created a small communication circle on her palm that was in direct connection with someone.

That person was..

* * *

—In the Devils' section of the Underworld, there was a large estate that resided in a certain territory. This territory was owned by the highest class of officials in Devil society.

Inside of the estate, inside of a certain room, there was a man— a Devil, who was sitting at a desk, filling out many stacks of paperwork, silently.

 _ **Shiin!**_

On the Devil's desk, a miniature magic circle appeared in front of his paperwork. Of course, he immediately recognized this magic circle. Placing his paperwork down, he prepared himself to speak.

This person— This Devil was..

[ **Sirzechs-sama**.]

"Grayfia. What is it? Has the interaction between Rias and Raiser ended yet?"

[No, it hasn't. Actually, I am contacting you because there has been a complication.]

This Devil known as "Sirzechs-sama", leaned in closer out of interest.

"Complication? Of what sort?"

[An unexpected factor has now introduced itself into the equation. Or rather, it has always been there. We simply didn't know it.]

"What kind of factor are you referring to?"

[A dangerous one.]

The Devil, Sirzechs, narrowed his eyes.

"..Dangerous? Is Rias in danger?"

[Not exactly. However, there is a layer of danger that can now be perceived through this situation. If anything, the situation has simply become more complex than we could have anticipated.]

"...Alright, Grayfia. Tell me what it is."

[There is a human with a Sacred Gear here who is interfering with this matter. Apparently, Ojou-sama has been hiding his presence in Kuoh for quite some time now. He and Raiser-sama have developed a sort of animosity towards each other.]

"A human is..? What type of Sacred Gear does he have? It can't be that it's a Longinus, can it?"

Grayfia then made the shocking piece of information clear to Sirzechs.

[— **He is the wielder of the "Boosted Gear", host of the Red Dragon Emperor. He is this generation's current Sekiryuutei**.]

(—?!)

Sirzechs's eyes widened in shock, but he soon regained his composure. He stood out of his seat without hesitation.

"I understand, Grayfia. I will head there now. Let me meet with this Sekiryuutei."

[Wait, Sirzechs-sama.]

Grayfia interrupted Sirzechs's sudden decision.

"What is it?"

[You shouldn't act too hastily. I understand that it is about the Ojou-sama, but you must think before you act.]

"You mentioned that this Sekiryuutei was "dangerous", did you not?"

[Indeed, I did. However, I meant that as a danger to the situation at hand. Whether or not he is a danger to Ojou-sama and her servants is to be determined. He certainly seems like a hostile figure, but I have seen him exhibit relatively no negative behavior towards Ojou-sama and her peerage. Rather, he seems to have a great disdain for Raiser-sama instead. Both of them dislike each other, to the point of almost wanting to destroy each other on the spot. Even now, they glare at each other maliciously.]

Sirzechs narrowed his eyes with a keen interest to Grayfia's words.

"...I assume you are telling me this for a reason, Grayfia."

[Of course, Sirzechs-sama. I would not waste your time otherwise.]

Sirzechs paused for a moment, then, he sat back down in his seat.

"...What is it that you want to suggest, Grayfia?"

[I was going to suggest that perhaps this an opportunity for us.]

"An opportunity? This Sekiryuutei, you mean?"

[Yes. —Consider this. Rather than go with the first option that you had originally intended, what if we were to use this Longinus wielder as an opportunity? After all, he and Raiser-sama have a general dislike for each other. Perhaps that could be something that the Ojou-sama can use to her advantage?]

Sirzechs leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression.

"...You said that this Sekiryuutei was a human. So he is not a Devil under Rias?"

[Correct.]

"Does he identify himself as an ally to the Devil faction?"

[I am not sure yet. There has not been an opportunity in which he displayed the contrary, though he doesn't necessarily refer to Devils with affection either. But according to the Ojou-sama, he has been living here for months, and she would attest to them being closely affiliated.]

"...So they are friends?"

[The Ojou-sama would say so, "good friends", in fact. He is the man that she "acknowledged", the one she planned to give her chastity this previous night.]

To that, Sirzechs became surprised again. It was the Sekiryuutei that she offered herself to?

Sirzechs began thinking aloud.

"...A human who wants to interfere in the matters of Devils. This generation's current Sekiryuutei, who hasn't even been discovered, and it isn't even confirmed of whether he is an official ally to us yet… The nobles of the old houses wouldn't allow something like that… They might not even have accepted it if he was just a "lowly servant" of Gremory…. You're right, Grayfia. This situation is certainly more complex than when it first started."

Sirzechs rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment.

"..To believe that Rias kept him a secret from us… She must have been trying to prove herself by taking responsibility for an unpredictable element like the Sekiryuutei without anyone's help. And the fact that Sona Sitri would allow this…. No, I suppose it's not surprising. They both have a common interest. Rias wants to handle things on her own, as a mature Devil would, keeping me out of it. And Sona would want to keep her sister out of the equation, because knowing her, she might take drastic action after finding out about a rogue Sekiryuutei that appeared near her…. Honestly, what troublesome children."

[There isn't a possibility that Sona-ojousama was unaware?]

"Not likely. Sona is too smart for her own good sometimes. She might have even known before Rias. Though, it could depend on how well the Sekiryuutei hides himself…. Speaking of which, Grayfia. Tell me. Is he powerful?"

Sirzechs asked in a very serious tone. Grayfia answered without hesitation.

[He is "strong", yes. Physically, he was capable of easily removing one of Raiser's arms off of his clothes.]

"Do you know if he 'Boosted' himself or not?"

[That, I do not. But I would assume not, considering that he didn't have his Boosted Gear in sight when he did it.]

"He was able to do that with his base strength..?"

[Possibly. More than that, I had no idea what he was when I first met him. I had the instinct to tell that he was certainly "special", but nothing beyond that. I assumed that he was a Sacred Gear possessor with a high level Gear, but I didn't assume it was a Longinus. He was good at masking it.]

Sirzechs said it as if he almost didn't believe it, with a hand to his mouth in a contemplative manner.

"He was able to hide his true nature from Grayfia..? He must be especially experienced with such a skill. To think that a mere human would be capable of doing such a thing, to someone like Grayfia….. He is a good host. No, he is exceptional. One-in-thousands, if not greater. He may be the strongest Sekiryuutei in a good few generations…. I'm not even sure someone like Rias could make him a servant, if she wanted to. She might not be capable…. But having him interfere with these matters would be…."

Sirzechs placed his hands together in deep contemplation.

A disgruntled sister. An impatient family. An arrogant playboy. A rogue Sekiryuutei.

This situation really was too complicated… It was giving Sirzechs a headache.

If he were to look at it from the perspective of a high level official, his answer should be obvious. But if he looks at it from the perspective of family, then…

It all comes down to what he values more. Honoring tradition and upholding classic values, or, the freedom and happiness of his younger sister…

His sister, who wanted nothing more in her life than to be happy with someone she loves… If he would deny her that dream, then she would…

Rias's happiness would be…

….

….

"Grayfia."

Within himself, Sirzechs reached a decision.

"Arrange for me to meet with this Sekiryuutei, face to face."

* * *

—After a few minutes of silence in the clubroom, Grayfia finally came out from the extra room and stepped back into the main room. The tension was still fairly thick, most of it emanating from Raiser and Issei, who were still glaring at each other. Though, the level of hostility seemed to lessen from before.

"...Grayfia. What did Onii-sama say?"

Rias asked Grayfia in a low voice, but Grayfia ignored her question. Instead, Grayfia walked over to the couch that Raiser was sitting on and addressed him directly.

"Raiser-sama."

"Ah?"

Noticing Grayfia, Raiser finally removed his gaze from Issei's.

"Sirzechs-sama has requested that you return home for today."

"..?!"

Raiser stood up in shock.

"What?! Sirzechs-sama did?!"

"Yes, that's correct."

"That doesn't make any sense! Why would Sirzechs-sama request something like that..?!"

Raiser's demeanor changed when he realized it.

"...Oh, I see.."

Raiser, despite being wary of Grayfia before, was now standing in her face with an unfriendly attitude.

"So he's showing special treatment for his beloved sister after all…"

"That is not the case, Raiser-sama. You are misunderstanding."

"Do not forget, just because he is a Maou doesn't mean that he has all of the authority over such matters. If he wants to show favoritism towards his family over his duty, even someone like him can be reprimanded for it.."

"Rest assured, Raiser-sama. Nothing of the sort is taking place. This is simply a formality. Sirzechs-sama is not objecting to the union, he is merely asking for some patience on your end. Perhaps even just a day or two. There is something he must take care of before then, and he would like to meet with you after that. But being the busy man he is, he cannot do it immediately. That's why he's requesting that you wait until then, then he'll meet with you for official business regarding this. To assist you in sorting this situation with Rias-oujosama out."

Raiser narrowed his eyes. He took a glance back at Issei, who was still erroneously sitting on the coffee table.

Issei only gave Raiser a fake smile that infuriated him.

"...Very well. I understand. If it is Sirzechs-sama, my future brother-in-law, who requests this, then I'll oblige…. Besides, I won't be able to discuss things with a clear mind here."

Raiser finished that by shooting another glare towards Issei. Then, he walked to the edge of the room that he first teleported onto.

"Well then, my lovely Rias. It looks like I'll be taking my leave here. The next time we meet, we should be choosing a designer for your wedding dress."

Rias scoffed in disgust towards Raiser's flirtation.

"As for you, Sekiryuutei…"

Raiser then turned his attention back to Issei, and he spoke to him in a threatening tone.

"...When we see each other again, I'll make sure to use my flames to turn you to dust."

"Heh. And I look forward to snuffin' out those cold ass flames before ya even get to stroke your own cock-shaped ego, bird brain."

Raiser growled before a flash of light appeared beneath his feet.

"..We'll see about that."

 _ **SHIIN!**_

In a flurry of flames and light, Raiser's figure disappeared from the room. The flames surrounding his teleportation were stronger than when he first appeared, and a spot on the floor he was standing on was left singed. He did that on purpose.

After Raiser's disappearance, Grayfia then unexpectedly approached Issei.

"Hyoudou Issei-sama."

"Huh? What do you want?"

Then, Grayfia made a shocking announcement.

"My master would like to meet with you."

 **[—?!]**

That shocked practically everyone in the room who understood it, with Rias being the most dumbfounded.

"What?"

"What?!"

Rias echoed Issei's confusion, but in a much more passionate voice.

"What is this, Grayfia?! Why would Onii-sama want to meet with Ise?!"

"Yeah, why the hell would Rias's bro— er, your master want to meet with me?"

Grayfia elaborated, but mainly to Issei.

"He wishes to have a discussion with you."

"A discussion? What the hell about?"

Rias also chimed in, despite not being included in the conversation.

"That's right, Grayfia, about what?! What is it that Onii-sama would want to discuss with Ise?!"

"Do not worry about it, Ojou-sama. It doesn't concern you."

"But it does concern me, doesn't it?! That discussion— that conversation surely concerns me, doesn't it?! It's about me, isn't it?! Besides, Ise is my friend! Onii-sama cannot just interrogate my friends without my consent—"

"—Ojou-sama."

Grayfia interrupted Rias in a surprisingly powerful tone.

"Your assumption is incorrect. This discussion does not involve you. It only involves the Sekiryuutei and my master. That is why you have no input."

Rias was able to say nothing against Grayfia's words. Grayfia then asked Issei.

"Would you be willing to meet with my master and have a discussion with him, Sekiryuutei, Hyoudou Issei-sama?"

Issei silently stared at Grayfia for a few seconds.

Sirzechs Gremory. Grayfia's master, Rias's older brother. A name that Ddraig recognized, a name he suspects was involved in his sealing. That man…

The Devil likely wants to meet with Issei because he is the Sekiryuutei, and the Sekiryuutei could be a threat. So it's more of an assessment than anything, Issei assumes.

But if he were to meet with this "Sirzechs", a member of the Gremory family…

….Perhaps he would have something to say to Issei about the great "Kuoh disaster"...

 _On behalf of his family, what would the Devil have to say for himself..?_

….

….

"Alright."

Issei had to know.

"I'll meet with this slave master of yours, maid-sama."

To Issei's reply, Grayfia was satisfied, and Rias was terrified.

Surely, if Issei initially recognized Rias because of her crimson hair, then he will certainly recognize her brother for his own. Especially considering that it was his hair that Issei saw that day, as his first sighting of a Gremory, in the first place.

This could have drastic and unforeseen consequences.

"..G-Grayfia.. If Onii-sama is going to meet with Ise, then may I also be in attendance for that encounter?"

Rias pleaded earnestly with Grayfia, but Grayfia stared at her silently for a moment, before shaking her head.

"No, I'm afraid that won't do. Sirzechs-sama wishes to meet with him personally, in private. A matter like this is detached from you, so there would be no reason for you to attend."

Rias only became more worried after Grayfia's answer. She had a bad feeling that this could lead to disaster. But she couldn't just let this go on without at least warning Grayfia of what could come.

"...Grayfia, if you're going to have him meet with Onii-sama, then I can't stop you. But, there's something you should know…"

Rias approached Grayfia and whispered something in her ear. Grayfia's eyes widened and looked at Issei. Issei became suspicious of what exactly Rias told the maid.

But Grayfia gave no other reaction and simply bowed to Issei.

"Well then, Hyoudou Issei-sama. I will be leaving. Take this for now."

Grayfia handed Issei a white card. Issei examined it, but it was blank.

"There's nothing on this."

"Do not worry. In a few hours, a time and place should appear on that card in red writing. That is the time and place that you should be meeting my master."

"Huh. Handy trick. I guess everything about Devils really is sneaky and dishonest."

Grayfia ignored Issei's remarks and stepped away in order to depart from the room.

"Good day to you all."

 _ **Shiin!**_

Grayfia quickly disappeared from the clubroom, leaving only the ORC members behind. Rias immediately approached Issei with a worried face.

"..Ise, please listen to me. No matter what happens between you and my brother, please, don't do anything drastic. I-I know we aren't the closest, but… I don't want to lose a friend… Don't let your anger take hold of you. Please… If not for yourself, if not for me, then for Asia… Remember that she cares for you deeply, and I know you care for her.. Okay, Ise?"

Issei turned his head towards Rias with an unnerving expression.

"The French maid was right, Rias. This doesn't concern you."

After saying that, Issei stood up and walked over to the exit of the clubroom.

"Let's go home, Asia, Raynare."

"I-Ise-san? What about school?"

Issei said it while opening the door.

"We're skipping today."

Raynare and Asia hesitantly followed Issei out of the room, leaving only the Devils of the ORC behind in the clubroom.

* * *

 **Part 4**

At around 6pm, the card that Issei received from Grayfia finally had some words revealed on it. But it was an unrecognizable language for a moment. They only became Japanese kanji after a few seconds.

In bold, red letters, the words "8:15 pm, Occult Research Club room" appeared. Two hours after the words appeared, Issei walked over to the academy. He shouldn't be surprised that the meeting place ended up being the clubroom, Issei supposed. It's common territory, this is Rias's brother after all, right.

Also, now that he thinks about it, that little card trick reminds him of something similar from his previous years. He recalls a time that he met an "angel" in a random house, accompanied by his beloved partner. The angel tossed a card with unrecognizable characters at him. The language then morphed into Japanese kanji and he could read it.

The maid used the exact same trick that the angel used.

That aside, Issei arrived at the school at almost exactly 8:15pm. He made his way to the clubroom, at the dark of night, wondering what could possibly happen during this meeting with "Sirzechs Gremory".

What was going to happen, only time would tell.

But for some reason, Issei was being slowly overcome with a foreboding feeling… It was a feeling that he has felt before… He remembers feeling it in times when he was hunting Genesis members.. It was like a "hunger" or a "thirst"… A feeling that something bad was going to happen… A feeling of anticipation..

And it was something that the madness inside of him was craving, and tingling with some bizarre sense of excitement for..

... _Was this feeling an enticement towards the idea of chaos_..?

….

….

Whatever it was, it was making him anxious. And yet, it also felt like it was sharpening his senses. He felt like a predator, hunting for its prey.

Oh yes… Now that he thinks of it, this was certainly a familiar feeling.

He can only imagine what becomes of this feeling during the meeting..

—Speaking of which, he has now just arrived in front of the ORC room entrance. And with hands he expected to be shaking with anticipation, but were somehow disturbingly steady, he pushed open the doors to the clubroom.

 _ **DAKUN**_ …

The sound of the doors being opened was surprisingly loud, and Issei's world suddenly began to move in slow motion as he entered.

"Welcome, Hyoudou Issei-sama."

Grayfia greeted Issei with a bow that felt like it went on forever.

But Issei's eyes were naturally drawn towards the front of the room, near Rias's desk, where he felt his instincts were leading him to look.

His world came to a stop.

—Right in front of that desk, there was a figure standing there. With a bold attire that was meant for royalty, dark robes with shoulder plates representative of status.

And most of all, crimson hair.

Crimson hair, like blood, that glistens in the moonlit sky. High, high, above the ground. On a night like no other. A night filled with blood and terror. A night that couldn't be forgotten, no matter how many decades passed.

On that night, a crimson mane would become a symbol. A symbol for pain and suffering.

 _And that symbol was now present before the beast that it created, in its full glory._

 _ **"—GREEEMOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"**_

 **[NO, YOU FOOL!]**

 _ **PREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!**_

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The boy— The snarling beast— Hyoudou Issei, had only made it an inch off the ground. And in only one moment, his head entire body, save for his head, was entirely frozen in a thick block of ice.

"Greetings, Red Dragon Emperor— Hyoudou Issei."

Grayfia, who was standing at the side, had frozen Issei using magic almost instantaneously. Her eyes were glowing in a bluish hue, and her body was surrounded by a chilling aura. Literally.

And with Issei being frozen, practically the entire half of the room he occupied was also frozen along with him as a result, and that included the entrance.

Despite that, Issei was still snarling like a wild beast, unbothered by the fact that he was frozen, and only concerned with the being that was standing ahead of him.

There had been no time in Issei's life that he had snarled and growled so ferociously, with teeth grit so tightly they sounded like they were on the verge of breaking, and even saliva dripping from his jaws. The only time he was similar was when a Genesis member had broken into his home and hurt his family.

But this time, his rage was somehow even more palpable, at a level that has never been seen before.

His vision was red. All he could taste was blood. All he could hear were screams and monstrous sounds. And all of the moments of his treacherous life flashed in his mind.

Issei, in this moment, was undoubtedly losing himself to insanity.

—Sirzechs "Gremory" was frowning at the sight of this man, the Sekiryuutei, snarling like a mad dog. It didn't bode well for Rias's situation, or for the Sekiryuutei's prospects as an ally to the Devil's side, if he had any.

"It is true that the clan which I originated from was Gremory. However, I am no longer a Gremory now. Now, I am known as [Sirzechs Lucifer]. I am a [Maou], Devil-king of the underworld."

Sirzechs, now identified as "Lucifer" rather than "Gremory", made an attempt to introduce himself in an orderly manner.

Despite this, Issei, the Sekiryuutei, was still growling like a madman.

Sirzechs furrowed his brows, wondering if this man would ever regain his sanity. Looking into the Sekiryuutei's eyes, they were filled with madness and hatred. Eyes that were making slight, erratic movements, yet still piercing through Sirzechs's form. Those eyes felt like the were spewing endless flames, burning a hole into Sirzechs's soul. He could practically make out the dragon sitting behind those eyes. Especially in the right eye, which had somehow lost the appearance of being human, and had red scales grown around it.

 _ **Crack!**_

Near Issei's neck, where his body was frozen up to, Sirzechs noticed a tiny hairline fracture in the ice surrounding Issei's body. Though it was ever so small, so small that it hardly compared to a bobby pin in size, it was a crack in the ice nonetheless.

 _'...Unbelievable. It's an insignificant fracture, but still.. The fact that he can manage that without even using his Sacred Gear, ice magic from Grayfia herself, it's terrifying… With the body of a human, no less..! This host is certainly exceptional. But why hasn't he taken a different form? If I recall, the Sekiryuutei has an ability to take on a different form, the "Balance Breaker", for the Boosted Gear. Perhaps he can't activate his ability because of Grayfia's ice… Let's keep it this way, for now.'_

Sirzechs continued to speak while the beast of a Sekiryuutei didn't seem to listen.

"Sekiryuutei— No. Hyoudou Issei. I have brought you here so that we may have a civil discussion. I was already assuming that you would have your grievances with me, but I had no idea you would be so unwilling to cooperate… Is it perhaps because your circumstances with me are..complex?"

Despite acting like he was insane, the wild Sekiryuutei still somehow understood Sirzechs's subtle implication, that is, the subtle reference to "that day" ten years ago.

"GRRRRR..! GRRR!"

 _ **Crack, crack!**_

And unexpectedly, a few more hairline fractures formed in the ice around the Sekiryuutei's neck again. Sirzechs's eyes widened in shock at the sight. Then, more ice began to slowly replace the fractured section, due Grayfia's influence.

"Stop."

Sirzechs held his arm out, ordering Grayfia to cease her actions.

"Leave it be."

"And if he takes a new form?"

"We will deal with that if it happens."

"Sirzechs-sama—"

"Do as I say, Grayfia."

"..Very well."

Though she was hesitant, Grayfia complied, and she made sure not to freeze the Sekiryuutei any further. Meanwhile, Sirzechs continued to make attempts to converse with the Sekiryuutei.

"..Hyoudou Issei. —Or are you nothing but a mad dragon now?... I can see nothing but destruction in your eyes. Tell me.. If we release you, will you go on a rampage?"

Sirzechs asked that with the hope that his question would somehow provoke a coherent response from this "Mad Dragon Emperor".

—But inside of the mind of the dragon, there was only madness.

 _ **《KILL HIM.》**_

Once again, while all of the different maddening events of Hyoudou Issei's life played through his head, interrupting his vision like a constant nightmare, a familiar figure appeared ahead of him once more.

Standing right beside the Devil which he felt he was destined to kill, there was himself. There was, holding a bloody cloth in his hands - the boy who suffered, yelling at him, along with a tribe of other voices.

 _ **《KILL HIM— KILL THE GREMORY! MAKE THEM SUFFER!》**_

 _ **《"It's started?"》《"Looks like it's started."》**_

 **G̷̡̧̦̞͎̦͚̮͓̱̮̲̝̘̱͈̭̞̣̜̣̗̥̹͔̮̲̩̰̮͒͗̍̔͌̽͑̓͗̀͂̀̂̈́͆̆̇͛̈́̋͊̂́̆̋́̃͋̚͜͝ͅŖ̸̢̞̠̘͉̮͚̯̺̮̝̫̼̰̯̜̍̊̎̀͗͗̈́̐͘͝͠Ề̸̡͕̙̖̙̬̮͖͍̙̖͓̠̟͆̈̿͝M̵̨̨̧̢̡͚̠̬͍̤̘̻̼̳̜͚̗͎̘͇̝̞͎̩̀̿̽͛͂̈́͒̀̎̐͒͐̄͌̄̐̋̏͜͝O̶̝̠͑̿̈́͑̆̐̐̀͆̑̄̎̇̈͋̓̎͂Ŕ̴̢̢̛̳͔̺̟̘̹͖͈̯̤̟̥͎͎̠̂̐̈̄͛̌̓̔̐͂̍̋̍͂̈̔̏̓͒͂̊̊̚̕̕͝͝͝͝Ÿ̵̢̢̧̤͓̟̭͍͓͎͍̣̲̦̻̘̞̮̺̦̮͎͈̹̭͍̖͇͍̘̻̜̙͍̤͔́̎͊̇̒͗̀̽̽̆̾͠ͅͅͅ**!

 _ **《TAKE AWAY EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN FROM YOU!》**_

 _ **《"I hear screaming."》《"I hear weeping."》**_

 **D̸͓͙̟͔̮̲͓̀͊̄̃͗̌̋͘͜͝͠Ě̸͓͍͂̒̈́͋̓̋͌̉͂̃̿́͘̕͠͠Ṿ̴̨̢̦͕̺͚̪̜̖̗͍̈́Ȋ̷̧̫͙̙͙̫̙̭͕̗͙̝͔̳͉̤͓̮̏̽́̔̒̈́̂̀̇̑̈́̔͘̕̕͘̕L̷̢̟͇̜̣͔̰̉S̷̩̹͓͔̳̣̰͎̙̩͖̽͂̅̔̌̚͘͝**

 _ **《BREAK FREE FROM YOUR RESTRICTIONS! RAMPAGE! CREATE MAYHEM! CREATE CHAOS!》**_

 _ **《"It's changed."》《"Something has changed."》**_

 **Ç̴̡̧̡̝̖̠̣͚͙̘͇̬͚͕̯̜̱̮͈͌́̀̑̈́̌̌̈́͐̑͊̀̇̃́͗̑̊͒̇͛̑̑̾̽͛͒͌̎̊͋̽́̚̚͝R̴̛̰̪̗̯̹̠̮̗̟̾̂͜͠Ȋ̶͔̗̪͎̼̲̗̜̥̻̪̲̗̹̹̳͕͔̱̫̭̝̥̭̞̀́́́̅̀́̇̀́̊̾̿̅̆̐͐̋̉̾̀̽̊̒͘̚͜͠M̸̡̧̛͔̘̫̺͕̱̠͕͍̪͙͓̘̯̠̗̭̲͉̙͈̻̩͈͉͋̍̆͂̓̽̀͆͒̔̂̎́͌͛̂͑̆̆͑̇̅̚̕͜͝S̴̨̧̨̢̧̢̛͈̪̗͔̭̙͉͔̭̫̺̠̘̲̹͙͖̫̲̜̬̬̩͎̋̀͂̌̃͘͝ͅƠ̸̧̢̛̳̺̭̭̙̰͚͇̳̝̱̭̹͔͚̣̲̩̙̼͍̥̬̺̲̯̩̥͚̘̒͂͗̓̊͗̀̈̓͛̅̃̈́͆̑́͒̅̌͒̇̌͆̉̕̚̚͝͝ͅṆ̷̮̠̳̲̝͉̔̅̾̿̽̆̃͐ͅ**

 _ **《DESTROY THE DEVILS! DESTROY EVERYTHING!》**_

 _ **《"Something is trying to escape."》《Something is trying to enter."》**_

 **L̵͓̫̼̩͓̠͎̍͐̾͜E̸̹͍͈̰̰̣̙͈͒Ṭ̷̺̤͈̲́̈́͗̚ ̴̢̾͆̕M̵̧͙̗̹̻͍̤̈́̿̿Ë̶̬͉̭̟͖͉͙̟́̽̍̽̋̎̈̕͝ͅ ̸̡͎̰͎̜̗̩͇̍̄̐̊͛̚̕͠Į̴̥̙̘̰̰͓̪̤̯̓͗̂̑͛̎̍͐̌N̴̛̪̼͖̮̂́̒̆̄̿̉**

 **L̵͓̫̼̩͓̠͎̍͐̾͜E̸̹͍͈̰̰̣̙͈͒Ṭ̷̺̤͈̲́̈́͗̚ ̴̢̾͆̕M̵̧͙̗̹̻͍̤̈́̿̿Ë̶̬͉̭̟͖͉͙̟́̽̍̽̋̎̈̕͝ͅ ̸̡͎̰͎̜̗̩͇̍̄̐̊͛̚̕͠Į̴̥̙̘̰̰͓̪̤̯̓͗̂̑͛̎̍͐̌N̴̛̪̼͖̮̂́̒̆̄̿̉**

.

— _And through all of the madness, the boy who was usually cursed with eyes redder than blood, or eyes blacker than an abyss - this time, his eyes somehow possessed a golden radiance._

.

 **《C̸̛̤͚͙͎͓̺̤̬̣̖͊͒̈́̌͛R̷̛̤͓͐̌̍͊̔́̓̾̕Ê̴̜̹̭̂̌͌̆͌̉͊̋̈̃̅̕A̶̡̗͚̳̰̖̘͉͖̹̟̋͛͛̂̈́̂̋͒̎͐̓͑ͅT̷̢̪̤̳̣̭̺̰̝͙̦͈̮̙̮͉͂̈́E̶̱̘̺̖̪͒̈́̀̑͆̋̂͋̓̿͒̉̈͝ ̶̧̢̛̰̯̖͓͉̥̜͂̈́̍̓̅̈́̒̂̿́̈́̕͘̚͜͝͠ͅṪ̸̨̨̖̰͖̙̤̩͉̘̬̰̻̍̆̈̈́̊̚̚H̷͔̎̍́͗͆̀͜E̵͌̀͊̏̃̈́̐̽̆͗͜͝͠͝ ̵̡̨̲̥͈̩͙̭̎̏͑̊̎̉̄̍̄͐ͅͅS̶̨̢̢̱͔̙̭͚̻̦̩̜̱̳͚͔̜̆͗̃̉̆͆̎͘͠T̸̮̤̲̬̓͊͛͐̚͜͝Ọ̵̮͇͍̣̠̦̘̤̙̖̾̔̈̐̒̑̈̔̓̐̈́̕͜R̸̡͌̌̿̚M̶̢̪̖͆̒̀͐̄̊̆͂̅̒̈́̚ ̷̨͕͓̝̖͔̻͇̣͔̜̗̈́̃ͅͅŢ̶͕̯̲̱̯̣͖̭̣̝̲̳̖̯̌͒̾͊̅̎̈́̒̅́̀̕͝͝H̷̢̬͈̭̣̮̯̜̳̙̭͚̩̄̿̈́̅̀̓́̾̐͆͝͝͝͝͝ͅÀ̸̢̘̲̭̻͉̫̥̠̘̌̈́̂̎͆̎̀̾̈́̏͊̚̕Ţ̵̡̯̮̟̙̩͕͕͓͍̭̟͛́̒́̀͊͂̀͂̚ ̸̭̗̬̈͆͋̉̾̏̌̒͌̍͝͠W̵̧̙̝̟̼͓͎̫͚͙̙̹̠͉̼̞̽͂̈́̆̂̎̑̑̎̃̅͝͠I̷̢̿̓̑̆̈́̚L̸̡̢̨̢̮̦͉̝̥̘͍̟̍̓L̶̨̲̭͚̮̪̩̱̎͐̍̐ ̷̛̦̺͙̎̄̅͒̑̊̂͑̎B̸̮̀̿̈́̌̓̈́̎̽͑͘I̴̡͔̤̜̽̋͂R̷̡̧͈͈͉̗̥̺̠̜͕̪̓̐̂́̑̇͆͝Ţ̶̛̼̟̤͇̪̟̻͙̟̤̲̍̒̈͑͒̓͆̔̈́̇̌̀̍͜͝H̵̫͙͈͔̼̼̽̉̆͊̀̓̌̔̾͒̉̉̅͘̚͘ ̶͚̆̿̐͋̐͐̓̎͘Ç̸͚̖̹̤͙̞̼͎̿̅̽́̀̚̕͜Ḣ̷̞͛Ą̸̺̥͓̝̗̪̗̠̺͗̀͛̍̀̾͝Ǫ̷̗̯̹̯̘̖̗̠̟̝̑̍̀̐̃̎̀̎̏̃̃͘͘̕͜͝Ş̸̱͙͖͔̝̗̫͖̍́̑͛̔̓̏̔̄̀̄̕͘.》**

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 _"Hum~, hum~~"_

The maddening avalanche of sounds and sights suddenly became silent and disappeared. It was quiet, it was dark. But, it was also soft.

A soft humming, and a gentle voice.

 _"Frère Jacques, frère Jacques,_

 _Dormez vous~ dormez vous~_

 _Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines,_

 _Ding ding dong, ding ding dong~"_

A lullaby.

A French lullaby. The feeling of warm sunlight, and a soft lap to lie on. An alluring scent. The sound of a beautiful voice. And soft hands that were running through a certain boy's hair.

 _"Écaille~. Écaille, open your eyes."_

Hyoudou Issei opened his eyes, only for him to see the dazzling smile of an unreachable person above him.

 _"What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream again?"_

She spoke with soft words to ease all of his torment.

After laying his eyes upon this radiant being again, Hyoudou Issei began to realize something he should have long ago.

"..Ah… You're an Angel…"

The vision of this Angel shimmered from the sunlight, and her white wings bathed the boy in a comforting light.

 ** _"—No one else but yours."_**

….

….

….

….

[...ner!]

….

[Pa...ner!]

….

[—Partner!]

"..!?"

—Hyoudou Issei's eyes shot open in shock. His sight and sound returned to him, in their regular state. His body felt cold and tight. But at the very least, he could feel again.

Issei finally regained his sanity.

"..Ugh.. Ddraig, what is it?"

For a reason he couldn't understand, Issei had a splitting headache. His head was throbbing, as if he had just had it bashed in. Moreover, he felt like he couldn't move his body either. Was he sleeping in an uncomfortable position? No, now that he was regaining his sight, it seemed more likely that he lost consciousness for whatever reason.

Wasn't he supposed to be somewhere?

[Partner. I need you to remain calm. If you lose your mind again, I'm not sure I can bring you back. Manipulating your mind to replay memories of yours is one of the most complex things I have done, and it took all of my focus to do it. I wasn't even sure how effective it would be, but I had to risk it, lest you lose your mind on your own.]

"..What? Oh… Yeah, I think I was losing it for a second, huh… What the hell caused that?.. Thanks for bringing me back anyway…. Wait, you said you 'used a memory'?"

[Yes, I was able to stimulate your brain into playing a memory from your past, in order to restore your sanity. I wasn't sure of its effectiveness initially, but luckily, it seemed to work.]

"...Memory?.. That was a memory..?"

[You were in a maddened state, partner. Whatever you could have seen, only you would know. I don't know what effect that madness could have on your interpretation of memories.]

"...Hey, who cares about that, tell me where I'm at. Wasn't I doing something..?"

Issei shook his head to eliminate his daze. The headache finally subsided, thankfully. But now he needed to know what he was doing before he passed out.

If he recalls, wasn't he supposed to do something? Wasn't he supposed to go somewhere? Wasn't he supposed to meet up with someone?

 _'..Ah, that's right. The school. I was s'posed to meet up with that maid and her…'_

….

"..!"

Upon remembering it, Issei raised up his eyes.

 _And of course, straight ahead of him, there was Sirzechs Gremory._

 **[!?—?!]**

"GREMORRRRRYYYYYYYYY!"

[NO, PARTNER!]

Issei shouted and struggled violently, suddenly realizing that he was encased in ice. He was growling and glaring at Sirzechs in a rage, but his sanity was still intact. For the most part.

Seeing this, Sirzechs took the opportunity to begin the encounter anew.

"Hyoudou Issei. I assume that you have finally regained your composure."

"GREMORRRYYYY! YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAAARD!"

Despite Sirzechs's best efforts, there still seemed to be a certain level of madness within Issei, at least to the point of howling at Sirzechs angrily.

[Partner, calm yourself! Don't lose your sanity again! If you are devoured by madness again, I'm not sure I can bring you back so easily! I can already tell that you were risking "the Drive" just before! We can't risk that again! Calm down. Think of your family. Think of the church girl. If you go on a rampage here, you won't be able to see any of them again.]

"...Ma… Asia..?"

Issei's growling died down, and he was left wondering about which "church girl" he should be thinking of first.

But still, there was no denying that he felt enraged. That person— The Devil from that day, he was standing just in front of Issei. If not for this ice that was holding Issei, he could walk right up to the Devil.

He was this close. He was in the same room.

"...Gremory..!"

Although he did it in a considerably lower tone than before, Issei still growled Sirzechs's family name with contempt.

Despite this, Sirzechs still took this as a good sign rather than bad.

"..From what I understand, you are a very special man, Hyoudou Issei. Grayfia has told me a small bit about your past. She says that you happen to be one of the survivors of the "Kuoh disaster" from a decade ago. And more importantly, she says that you are the only human who remembers it…"

At finally hearing the acknowledgement of the only thing that concerned Issei, his rage was starting to build up again.

"I was curious about this so I wanted to ask. How exactly is it that you were able to remember? Did you do it as a result of your Sacred Gear?"

[Maintain your sanity, partner. You cannot question him about "that day" without it.]

Issei made attempts to keep his anger from heightening beyond any point he cannot control, and he answered Sirzechs's question in a struggle against insanity.

"..Looks like your sissy didn't tell ya, huh. The answer to that is: fuck you, your shitty underlings suck at their fucking job, you god forsaken piece of shit..!"

Even though Issei was spitting vulgarities with venom at Sirzechs, which Grayfia certainly didn't appreciate, Sirzechs maintained his composure and responded fairly easily.

"I see. I assume that means you just weren't found then? So you were never under the affects of the memory spell. You always knew the truth."

"Yeah, that's right. I was always aware of your scummy existences and the rest of the fuckin' monsters in the world… And I always knew that it was you shitty Gremory who were at fault for it all."

Sirzechs's expression then gained a level of darkness to it after Issei's statement.

"...Have you ever planned to take vengeance for that?"

Issei didn't answer that question, he merely began glaring at Sirzechs silently. Sirzechs's expression then grew a threatening undertone to it.

"...Have you planned to take vengeance using my sister?"

Issei was reminded of the night before with Rias, and his right eye twitched slightly. In response, an aura began to seep, ever so subtly, off of Sirzechs's skin.

"...And what if I have, Gremory?"

The ice surrounding Issei's body felt like it became heavier, and Sirzechs raised a hand up with his palm open.

"...Then perhaps it's best if I just eliminate you here."

 _ **Voooooooooom**_...

Out of Sirzechs's palm, something resembling an orb took form, appearing with a small rumble. It reminded Issei of the "power orbs" that he would create before firing a "Dragon shot or blast". But unlike Issei's own power, this orb was dark at its center and surrounded by a red outline. Its appearance made Issei's instincts sound off immediately. He instantly knew it was bad news.

[Partner, that power is dangerous. We can't allow ourselves to be hit by it.]

 _'I can tell. It's making my fucking skin crawl underneath this ice. That's supposed to be the "Power of Destruction" that Rias uses, but something about it is wrong. It's too potent. It's too focused. Compared to Rias, who is like an amateur, this is the version that a master would use. Perfectly concentrated energy.. And I'm saying that as somebody who doesn't even know how the ability works other than destroying things…'_

The stare-off between the two continued silently, uninterrupted. And with every second that passed, Issei grew more and more uneasy. Not only because of that power, but also because of that childish visage of himself that wouldn't disappear for some reason.

Would Issei lose his sanity, or his life? It was beginning to feel like it was a question of which would happen first…

 _ **Voom**_..

But the orb in Sirzechs's palm disappeared, and he lowered his hand. Sirzechs seemed to close his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them he was stoic again.

"..Tell me something, Hyoudou Issei."

Issei felt a certain pressure under Sirzechs's gaze.

"Do you loathe me?"

—What a question.

It was almost like a question that Issei was waiting his whole life to be asked.

Perhaps it could've been wrong, or maybe it was justified. But regardless of that, Issei knew his answer very well. It was down to his very instincts that he could answer it, so easily.

That answer, given with an expression that displayed his instability, was…

"..More than you could ever imagine, Devil."

To that answer, Sirzechs merely shut his eyes again.

"That's fine. I understand."

Understand? That was certainly not a word Issei expected to turn up in Sirzechs's response. Nevertheless, it still managed to anger him.

"...What the fuck do you "understand", Devil scum?"

Sirzechs opened his eyes ever so slightly, but looked down to the side while answering.

"Perhaps not enough."

Despite whatever implication there could've been, Issei only felt more and more agitated hearing these things.

"Tell me something else, Hyoudou Issei. I assume that with your hatred for me, those feelings may also transfer over to my family. But, I'd like to ask you earnestly.."

Sirzechs asked after a pause. His gaze, though not intimidating, Issei felt walk through his soul.

 _"Do you loathe my sister?"_

—There it was again. Once again, that question had come to present itself to Issei, as if God was mocking him over his own answer.

To Sirzechs, Issei wanted to say many things. But above all else, to this question specifically, he wanted to respond with: Yes.

He wanted to laugh at Sirzechs, and proclaim his hatred for his detestable sibling. He wanted to call her an arrogant, prideful, naive, foolish, petulant child. An idiot who he could play mind games with all day, if he wanted to. A weakling who he could easily dismember, if he wanted to.

A harlot, who he could defile without a second thought or hesitation.

All with a wicked smile etched onto his face.

….

But why?

Why was it that he couldn't say these things, even now of all times?

Why was it that he felt a conflict, a struggle against what he so dearly wished to say?

Why did it feel wrong? Why did it feel like lies?

Why?

Why?

….

"...No.."

—Issei doesn't always understand himself, he is a complex man after all. That's why, he's decided to simply take a note from Raynare's book and learn to act according to what he feels regardless. In the end, it was his namesake that Ise's words took form over.

Honesty.

"...I cannot hate a child for a sin that isn't theirs.."

That was a response that lightened up Sirzechs's eyes considerably. Though Issei didn't say it while looking directly at him, Sirzechs understood, simply by the shameful expression, that Issei was telling the truth.

Unbeknownst to Sirzechs, the place which Issei was directing his gaze, the "empty space" that was beside Sirzechs, it was actually the thing Issei was looking at.

The form of the forsaken boy with golden eyes, staring at Issei with a sinister grin unlike that of a child's.

 **《—LIAR.》**

Issei ignored the vision and returned his gaze to Sirzechs, who was still wearing a stoic expression, but with softer eyes than before.

"...I see. That is certainly a relief to hear, I must say. Then I suppose our assumption to label you two as "friends" wouldn't be inaccurate?"

To that question, Issei provided no answer. But to Sirzechs, that was enough. Sirzechs has confidence in his intuition, and right now, that intuition doesn't feel a need to see this as a negative response.

"Very well. If this is the case, then I can relax just a bit. But still, this leaves one other problem. That problem is the very reason I've brought you here, Sekiryuutei, Hyoudou Issei."

Issei looked back at Sirzechs, internally questioning what Sirzechs's original intention for bringing him here was.

"From what I've heard through Grayfia, you and Raiser Phoenix don't seem to get along well, do you?"

That name sparked Issei's interest and a visible irritation. That of which, Sirzechs did not fail to notice.

"As I thought. Well, that's alright. I understand that sentiment. Rather, I wanted to take advantage of it. I am a Devil, after all."

Those words fueled Issei's suspicion towards Sirzechs.

"...What do you mean, Gremory?"

"Please, call me [Lucifer]. Gremory is no longer a name that I live under."

 **[—?!]**

Because of Issei's previous loss of sanity, he hadn't realized it, but that name shocked him.

"Lucifer?! You..! You're Satan?!"

"Indeed, I am. Though, if you're thinking of the original Satan, then you are mistaken. I am merely a placeholder for the title of Satan. My three other colleagues and I share this position."

Issei didn't understand the dynamics of Devil hierarchy, but he understood that Sirzechs was not the "Satan" he was thinking of, at least. Whether or not that should comfort him, however, he didn't know at all.

"...So then what are you talking about, "taking advantage of me", Maou-sama?"

"Well, perhaps "taking advantage" has the wrong connotation to it. It's more like an object of "mutual interest", if anything."

"..What kind of interest?"

"Tell me, Hyoudou Issei, would you like to have a match against Raiser Phoenix?"

(—!)

"...A match? You mean a fight?"

"Yes, a fight."

Issei narrowed his eyes to Sirzechs's suggestion.

"...Under what circumstances?"

"Suspicious, are you? Understandable, but I assure you that you have no reason to suspect me. As I see it, we are on the same side. —As for what circumstances, I would say: a duel, of sorts. A one-on-one match between the newly discovered ally, the Sekiryuutei, and the legendary Phoenix. Perhaps even a death-match? Quite an interesting concept, don't you agree?"

Issei only became even more suspicious with Sirzechs's given details.

"...Why would that put us on the same side? What sort of benefit would that bring to you?"

Sirzechs answered it clearly and with no hesitation.

"My sister, of course. I aim to save her from this arranged marriage."

Issei was confused by his answer.

"What? Isn't that marriage important to the Devil race or some shit?"

"Yes, it is."

"Aren't you the fuckin' leader of the underworld or something?"

"I am."

"Then why the hell would you wanna stop that?"

"Only for my sister's happiness."

"Hah?"

Issei found it hard to believe, so he laughed condescendingly.

"Hahaha, what a shit leader you are, "Lucifer"!"

"Mm. Perhaps I am."

Despite Issei's remark, Sirzechs simply agreed while closing his eyes.

Issei lost his entertained smile. For everything he could hate Sirzechs for, maybe that was the one thing he couldn't. He could understand the sentiment. After all, if someone tried to force Maki into an arranged marriage and threatened her happiness, he would burn heaven and earth to solve it. Especially if it was with someone like Raiser.

Hell, who is he kidding, he would just kill the bastard. Under those circumstances, he understands Sirzechs fully, as much as it irks him to admit it.

"I don't expect you to understand it, but that is my reason."

"...I do understand. But so what if I do?"

"If you do then that makes things easier. All that is left is to discuss the details, and then you can have your fight with the Phoenix."

Issei halted Sirzechs before anything could progress.

"Wait, you shitty Maou. I still don't have a reason why I should have a fight with that bastard."

"Hmm? From what Grayfia has told me, you two have a great contempt for one another. Is that wrong?"

"Hold on, I may hate that slime, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"I assumed that you would like to release that contempt from yourself and onto Raiser."

Issei's eye twitched when he heard the word "release". The second time that a Gremory offered him some sort of outlet for his frustrations. Though, this time it was more along the lines of violence…

"Don't get me wrong, I fuckin' hate him, but I also couldn't give a shit less what happens to him. As long as he disappeared from my life and never came back, I wouldn't fuckin' care."

"Well, it would certainly be difficult to rid him from your life if he marries Rias, wouldn't it? After all, he might interact with her very often."

"Hah? Yeah right, you fuckin' kiddin'? If that happens then I can just always quit going to club and never speak to Rias again."

Sirzechs frowned at Issei's statement.

"..Doing something like that is very inconsiderate. I was under the assumption that you two were "dear friends".."

Issei scowled and turned his gaze away from Sirzechs.

"...You make too many assumptions, Lucifer. Most of which are wrong.."

"My sister believes in that assumption."

Issei's eyes narrowed, but not in anger or suspicion. It must've been something else.

"...So what..?"

There was a short silence hanging in the air after Issei's response. A quiet sigh could be heard from under Sirzechs's breath.

"..I see. In that case, perhaps a simple wish would suffice instead?"

From the sidelines, Grayfia tried to interject.

"Sirzechs-sama, you are in no position to—"

"I know, Grayfia. Let me handle it."

Issei turned his eyes back to Sirzechs with more confusion than suspicion this time.

"..A wish?"

"Yes, that's right. A wish. —Is there any desire that you want to have fulfilled, Hyoudou Issei? Perhaps you want power? Or wealth? Or maybe status? These are things that I could give to you, in exchange for your services. A more "give-and-take" option."

Issei scoffed upon realizing it.

"Pff! A deal with the devil, huh? What's in it for me? Is that all I can ask for?"

"You can ask for anything. I will try my best to grant it."

"...Anything, huh? You'll give me anything?"

"So long as it is within the realm of my ability, I will give it to you."

Issei's eyes narrowed further than ever before, and this time, it was his gaze that was piercing through Sirzechs's soul.

"...Can you bring the dead back to life?"

As if Sirzechs understood the implication immediately, he replied while shutting his eyes.

"If the death was recent enough, then yes. Otherwise, it is impossible."

—Somewhere inside of himself, a part of Issei crumbled. Those were the words that broke his spirit.

Though it was hyperbole, it destroyed his hope, the realization that even Satan himself could not bring back the dead as he wished.

Somehow, it was the heaviest realization he'd ever encountered in his life. The fact that, now, he had no choice but to accept their deaths. As if, up until now, somewhere deep inside of his heart, he held out hope that it wasn't true. A childish part of him that attached to that idea.

His mother. His father.

And most of all, the woman he loved.

They were truly gone.

His heart was truly broken.

—Sirzechs was silent, but internally, he was in disbelief. To think that the Sekiryuutei that was acting like a rabid beast towards him earlier, was now making the same expression as a heartbroken child…

He should've expected it. All of this boy's hatred, it was just another manifestation of his pain.

"...Hyoudou Issei."

Sirzechs called out to Issei again, trying to regain his attention.

"What do you desire? What do you wish for? I shall try my best to fulfill it."

Even though Sirzechs offered it earnestly, Issei's face did not change. He was still utterly downtrodden.

Was there even a point in asking for anything? If he can't even get back what he wants most in this world, then what's the point of asking for anything else? Can he even think of anything more to ask for?

There's nothing left.

He has nothing.

….

Nothing except for..

"...Revenge.."

Although Issei muttered it under his breath, Sirzechs and Grayfia didn't fail to hear it.

Issei dead eyes looked over to the spot beside Sirzechs. There stood his boyish counterpart, with a sinister grin unbecoming of a child.

He said it while the cloth in his hands started bleeding onto the floor.

 _ **《KILL HIM.》**_

Issei's eyes moved over to Sirzechs and they narrowed.

—Issei has nothing left to desire for in this world. Nothing, except vengeance.

Revenge for his murdered mother and father, and revenge for his beloved.

But he has already achieved it for his lover.

Now all that is left is for him to redeem is his parent's honor.

 _ **《KILL THE DEVIL. KILL HIM. KILL HIM. KILL HIM. KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!》**_

He can only get revenge for his parents. He can only regain their honor.

And to do that, he must KILL—

….

….

Honor?

….

No, wait.

He doesn't have to kill to return their honor.

Actually, it's much simpler than that.

"...Sirzechs Lucifer.."

He just has to bring down those responsible for their deaths, down to their level.

No, he has to bring them down further.

He must take _his_ honor.

"...If you'll really to give me anything to save your sister.."

— _He has to humiliate him._

".. _Then get down on your knees and beg for it_."

 **[—?!]**

With a deranged smile on his face, that was what Issei demanded of Sirzechs.

A cruel ultimatum.

Either swallow his pride, toss away his honor as a king, and save his sister— or, allow his sister's happiness to be inevitably destroyed.

To Devils, whose pride and greed are valued above all else, this was what Issei demanded of their great king, in order to save one person, rather than his entire race's purity.

It was so unbelievable that it caused Issei to burst out into maniacal laughter.

"AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! KNEEL DOWN BEFORE ME! KNEEL DOWN AND BEG FOR FORGIVENESS FOR KILLING MY PARENTS! BEG FOR THIS LEGENDARY DRAGON'S STRENGTH! BEG FOR ME TO HELP YOU! BEG FOR ME TO SAVE YOUR PRECIOUS SISTER AND MAYBE THEN I'LL HELP YOU, YOU PATHETIC DEVIL BASTARD! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! AAAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

Issei cackled like a madman, filling the empty room with his laughter.

The thought of his parent's "murderer" begging him for his help, it delighted him to no end.

Grayfia, though appeared stoic as usual, had an underlying darkness present in her blank expression. There was even a part of her palm which was layered in ice, and her eyes were glimmering in a bluish hue.

Meanwhile, Sirzechs remained entirely silent and nondescript. But that only amused Issei even further.

"AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA!"

But while Issei continued laughing, Sirzechs did the unbelievable.

"..Sirzechs-sama…!"

Issei's laughter died down as he returned his gaze down to where Sirzechs was, only to realize that the Devil's position had somehow lowered.

"..Hahaha…. Haha… Ha…"

Grayfia, for some reason, had brought herself down to the lowest and most respectful position, the dogeza, from the side.

It was said that, in hierarchical societies, if your lord were to ever bow or kneel, their underlings should also kneel to a position equal or even lower than that. But with Grayfia's situation, that wasn't possible.

—Because Sirzechs had done the dogeza, and there was no position more lowly than that.

 **"...I, Sirzechs Lucifer— No, Sirzechs Gremory, not as a Maou, but as the Devil that I was born as— I ask for your forgiveness. Not as the Sekiryuutei, but as the man, Hyoudou Issei, and as the son of your parents. And I humbly request that you save my sister from her arrangement, so that she may one day find happiness in her free life."**

.

.

.

.

.

Issei's world was frozen in time, and in silence.

Sirzechs had done it. Just as Issei demanded, Sirzechs had fulfilled his request. Something that even Issei himself never expected to be done, and found satisfaction in the idea, Sirzechs had done it with almost no hesitation.

Why?

Why couldn't it just be easier?

Why couldn't it just be simpler for Issei to hate this Devil, Sirzechs Lucifer?

Why did he have to be willing to toss away his pride for his sister's future? Why did he have to be willing to disgrace himself as a king, all just to save one family member?

Why couldn't have Sirzechs Lucifer just been a bastard? Why couldn't he have just been a fool with no virtue? Why couldn't he have just been a scumbag in the same vein as Raiser, with no care for others besides himself? Why couldn't he have just been a shitty Devil with no remorse or consideration?

Why?

Why?

Why couldn't Sirzechs Gremory, one of the main Devils Issei blamed for the death of his parents— why couldn't he have just been an easy person to hate?

Why?

….

….

….

….

"...Let me go.."

Issei said it in a small voice, but Sirzechs and Grayfia heard it sure enough.

"...Let me go home.."

Sirzechs raised himself and asked.

"Does this mean there is no deal?"

Issei answered without raising his lowered head.

"...Just let me go.."

Although Sirzechs was disappointed, he didn't express it openly.

"Release him, Grayfia."

"..Sirzechs-sama—"

"Do it."

Grayfia hesitated, but she eventually released Issei from her ice magic. The ice surrounding Issei quickly cracked and fell apart.

 _ **Crack! Break!**_

The ice disappeared into thin air, leaving nothing but a few sparkles. And Issei, without saying anything, turned around and began walking out.

"Please wait just a moment."

Sirzechs gestured over to Grayfia, who then approached Issei and held out a paper.

"Take this. You don't need to make a final decision now. We still have a day or two. At the very least, I hope that you can contact Grayfia through this slip, should you change your mind."

Issei, who still had his head down, looked over to the paper with eyes that were concealed by bangs. He didn't move for a moment, but after a pause, his hand slowly came up to retrieve the paper.

"..."

Issei took it, then walked out without saying a word more, leaving Grayfia and Sirzechs behind in silence.

"...Sirzechs-sama."

Grayfia came up beside Sirzechs with an expression of disbelief, and slight hurt.

"Why would you kneel? Would you so easily toss away the entire underworld for the Ojou-sama?"

Sirzechs replied without looking at Grayfia, keeping his gaze locked onto the doors from which Issei exited.

"...If it is nothing but my pride as a Devil and my honor as a Maou, then I would easily toss it aside for Rias's happiness."

And that was his only answer.

* * *

 **Part 5**

Issei returned home after his meeting with the Devil-king and the maidservant. According to the clock at his home, Issei had only been away for 15 minutes. To Issei, it felt as if an entire day had passed by already.

When Issei made it up the stairs, he noticed Asia and Raynare both standing there, waiting for him.

"W-Welcome home, Ise-san."

"..W-What happened?"

They both greeted Issei with worry about the encounter, but he ignored them and went straight into his room.

"Are you alright, Ise-sa—"

 ** _Dakun_**..

Issei shut his door without responding to Asia's concern.

"...Come on, Asia. Let's just go to bed. We know better than to ask when he's like that… At least he's home alright."

Raynare returned to her and Asia's room, but Asia didn't seem to follow.

—Inside of his room, Issei went to flip on his light switch without lifting his head, but he stopped. He didn't want any light right now. He'd rather sit silently, in darkness, unnoticed by the world.

"...Ise?"

From behind him, Issei heard a familiar voice. He turned around to see a femimine figure sitting on the edge of his bed. She stood up, and the only light that entered the room from the parted curtains, the moonlight, illuminated her figure.

But most of all, the moonlight that ran through her crimson hair and caused it to glisten. And this sight only anguished Issei even further.

"...W.. What happened, Ise?"

Issei turned his body away, allowing for shadows to blanket him again.

"...Why are you here, Rias?"

"...I wa…. I just…"

Rias struggled in giving a proper response, finding it difficult to find the right words. But her face had a sad expression.

"...Did he tell you to help me, Ise?"

Issei didn't answer.

"...I wasn't sure about it before, but… I thought, maybe if it was Onii-sama then he would try to help me somehow… It's something out of his reach, even as a Maou, but 'maybe if he asked Ise', I thought…. Did he ask you? Or was Grayfia right? Was my assumption wrong, and it was just a meeting about you, as the Sekiryuutei…? Neh, please tell me, Ise? ...Please tell me, that maybe I can have hope..?"

Again, Issei did not say a word. He remained silent and still, with his head looking to the ground.

Rias's frown became even sadder as the silence hung heavy in the air.

Then, Issei spoke.

"...Rias…. Tell me….. Why is it that you don't want to marry Raiser?"

Rias's sadness gained a smile, and a little bit of sarcasm, when Issei asked that.

"..Would you believe it if I told you that it's because he's a bad person?"

Rias chuckled to herself, but Issei was silent. Rias looked out of the window and out towards the moon with a melancholic expression.

"..Well, even though that is true, I suppose it isn't my biggest reason… I can't say that it's what bothers me the most about the prospect of an arranged marriage. No, that would undoubtedly be.."

Rias paused, and a greater amount of sadness filled her eyes as she hopelessly looked out to the night's sky.

"...I am proud to be a Gremory. To be acknowledged as a "prodigy", to be blessed with talent and the gift of my mother's power, to be revered by the entire Devils society…. I, Rias, am proud to be a Gremory…. Yet, despite that, there are many times when I think: 'am I only just a Gremory?'... Does everything that I possess, and everything that I am, does that lose meaning without the name [Gremory] attached to it? Are all of my talents and hard work meaningless if I am not "Rias Gremory"?... Or is my talent only something that I have because I am "Gremory"..? Does my identity as a person, or even just as a woman, does that all only lead back to "Gremory"? …..Am I not myself? Am I not "Rias"?... I remember when you said to me, Ise, that you no longer hated me… That filled me with such joy. Not only because it felt like an achievement to call you my friend, but also because I knew that you still hated my family. That's right. I knew that you still had resentment for my family, but not for me. And that made me happy… Why? Because it meant that you were seeing me as "Rias" and not "Gremory". Not as an extension of my clan... Can you believe that? Can you believe something so shameful?"

Rias was met with another pause, but it was an emotional silence, and her eyes began to build up tears at that time.

"...As a little girl, I always wanted to be like a princess. And one day, I hoped that there was someone like a "prince" to whisk me away… Maybe that was too greedy, and I was okay with not exactly having that. But, at the very least, I wanted to find someone who truly loved me. That was all I ever wanted, for someone to love me as "Rias", as myself. To love me, Rias, not "Rias Gremory" of the Gremory clan. Rather than hold me like a trophy, like Raiser will, I wanted someone to say: "I love you, Rias"... There were even times that I hoped, when coming to the human world, that I would meet someone like that. Because humans couldn't know what the name "Gremory" stands for, so it would mean nothing to them, and I would end up only being "Rias" instead…. Hehe, it's stupid, isn't it? It's laughable…. But still, I wished for that…. So, that's why, I want to marry someone of my choosing, and not Raiser. Even if it's greedy, I was willing to fight to the bitter end for that freedom. I still am…. But even so, it doesn't break my heart any less, that thought. That thought, that I'm always left thinking when I'm reminded of this subject…"

Rias's sad smile faded away and became a frown. Rias then shut her eyes, and tears flowed freely down from them.

 _"...'If I am not Gremory, am I worth nothing'?"_

….

….

….

….

Issei remembers once asking a similar question to Ddraig.

—"Beyond being the Sekiryuutei, what good am I"?...

Ddraig answered Issei, and told him that he was [strong willed], and [had a creative mind]. He [used his brain despite being foolish], and he would [never give up, even after being "defeated"]...

…Though it was a satisfactory response, to Issei, it somehow didn't make him feel any better.

Issei remembers asking that question to Ddraig… But more than that, he remembers asking that question to "that woman"... That woman, which he loved so dearly…

And of course, her answer was not as simple…

And yet, it was an answer that filled his heart..

 _("...Écaille is… No, Issei, is more than the Sekiryuutei… Being the Sekiryuutei, that only makes you 'powerful'. But that's not what makes Issei 'strong'… Even without that power, you are strong. You are the strongest person I know. You are more than your power… Even though you are sometimes a cruel person.—Sometimes, you are cruel and vicious, vulgar and rude… But more than that, you are kind and caring, forgiving and nurturing… When it matters most, you will show kindness rather than hatred, even though you deny it… When it matters most, you are there to protect and nurture… You are mean, and angry, sometimes… But even so, you do not 'enjoy' being cruel… I know that, deep inside, you are someone who 'wishes' to be kind. You are someone who wishes to be a hero… You, who claims to be a "bastard", burden yourself with the task of being "the monster who kills monsters". Not because you enjoy it, but because you don't want anyone to ever face the pain you have experienced… Because that is who your parents raised you to be. That is Hyoudou Issei. The Sekiryuutei's power is not wasted on you, no. Without you, the power of the Sekiryuutei is wasted. Issei is more than the Sekiryuutei. —Issei, you are, and always will be, my hero.")_

.

.

.

.

For what was a long while in that room which was frozen in time, the two went quiet. Neither of them said anything to disturb the silence, and Issei remained standing in his corner of the room.

….

But there was a short stream of tears running down Issei's cheeks.

"...Go home, Rias."

That was all Issei said to break the silence.

Rias smiled sadly again and wiped her tears. She stepped away from the window and created a magic circle beneath her feet.

"...Thank you for listening, Ise."

With a beautiful smile, and a flash of light, Rias quickly disappeared from the quiet room.

Issei was left all alone, again.

….

Issei walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge of it. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the cross that hung from his neck, staring at it silently while its emerald reflected the moonlight.

"...What would you want me to do..?"

 _ **Knock, knock**_..

Two knocks were placed softly on the outside of Issei's door.

"...Ise-san?"

It was Asia.

"...Ise-san? ….Um, I'm coming in."

Asia entered the room without waiting for Issei's response. When she opened the door, she realized it was still dark.

"...I-Ise-san?"

Issei, who Asia could tell from his silhouette that he was sitting on the bed, said nothing to her.

"Did Buchou-san leave?"

Despite inquiring Issei, Asia's question was left unanswered.

"...Ise-san?"

Issei gave no verbal or physical responses to anything Asia was saying. He only kept his hanging down and his body slumped slightly forward in a depressed fashion.

Despite this, Asia still went on asking him.

"Buchou-san needs help, doesn't she?"

"..."

"...Are you going to help her, Ise-san?"

Issei didn't reply, but his hand twitched after hearing the question.

"...Rias-san is our friend, and friends help other when they're in need, right? So then… Doesn't that mean that we should help her?"

"..."

"Ise-san…. Won't you help her?"

Issei was still silent. His head moved ever so slightly. It wasn't enough for Asia to see Issei's face, but it was enough for Issei to catch a glimpse of Asia's face.

While looking at Asia's sullen expression, Issei couldn't help blending her image in with Marie's own.

"...If it's you asking me..."

Issei turned his eyes away and went silent again.

..With some hesitation, Issei shook his head and said it quietly.

"…Leave me alone, Asia…. Please..."

Asia frowned sadly. She has never been pushed away by Issei before.

Asia made her way to the door and stood there. With some hesitation, she said one more thing..

"I believe…... I believe that Ise-san wants to help her….. That's the type of person that I believe the Ise-san I know is…."

And with that, Asia left the room as gently as she when she first came in.

With only the silence to accompany him once again, Issei released a deep, but quiet, sigh.

 _'...Ddraig…. What should I do?...'_

[You are asking me? I'm not sure what to make of it, partner. The decision is yours. It is all up to you whether you decide to "rescue" this Devil or not.]

 _'...If I had my own idea regarding this, I would not be consulting you...'_

[True enough. —Well, if you wish to know my personal opinion, then I suppose I would say that it's best to make a decision that would benefit you. Though, I suppose in what manner it would be benefiting you is what concerns me more, I would say.]

 _'...A benefit to me? What benefit?... In what sort of "manner" are you referring to?'_

[In this case, your survival or physical well-being isn't in any sort of detriment by the situation. So, I suppose what matters here is the part of you that is least "intact".]

 _'...The least intact part of me…?'_

[Your mind, I suppose. Or maybe your heart as well. I'm sorry to say but there aren't many parts of you that aren't damaged, partner. But that's why, in this situation, I think that maybe it's best to protect one of these two things.]

 _'...What do you mean by that?'_

[Ask yourself this, partner: how exactly do you believe this situation would affect you, should you let it continue untethered?]

 _'...I...don't know...'_

[Aye. The very fact that it is a question that conflicts you is what shows that the subject matter may run deeper with you than you may believe.]

 _'...How so?'_

[Take this, partner: That woman from the past— Should you have had the chance, would you have saved her, back then?]

Though it was in the voice of his mind, Issei responded with a subtle disbelief in his tone.

 _'...Are you mocking me, Ddraig?...'_

[Do not be ridiculous, partner. Understand that I am asking you this in consideration of your best interests. It is simply something I wanted to know.]

 _'...The answer is obvious, isn't it?'_

[Indeed, it is. Undeniably so. —However, that much is my point, partner.]

 _'What do you mean?'_

[Partner. Out of the many people you have not had the luxury to save the lives of, how many times have you regretted not being able to do so? How many times have you cursed yourself for not being able to save someone?]

As if a part of some type of cruel irony, a classical phrase that haunted Issei's life returned to play itself again, perfectly on cue.

 ** _([You are but a child. —There is simply nothing you can do.])_**

….

….

Issei was left silent with Ddraig's question, but Ddraig continued.

[So partner, for the sake of sparing you any future suffering— considering your past, the question you should really be asking yourself, is this: "What do you believe you are more likely to regret: the decision to save someone in need— or perhaps, the decision to refrain from doing so? **Which will you regret doing more, "saving", or "forsaking" someone?"** ]

…

—As Ddraig's voice became silent, and another voice came to take its place in Issei's mind. It was a lovely voice that remained deep within his heart. And that voice was having a conversation with his past self.

 _("Écaille…. Did you know, you're my hero…")_

 _("HA! "Hero"— Pfft. Not cut out for it.")_

 _("...Maybe not in some ways…. But in my eyes, that's how I see you.")_

 _("Hmph…. Maybe you should get your eyes checked then…. You're seein' wrong…")_

 _("...Even though you say that, you wouldn't hesitate to save me if I was in trouble..")_

 _("Just shut up. I ain't no hero, alright?...")_

 _("Wrong…. You'll always be my hero, whether you like it or not, hehe~... Besides...")_

 _…._

 ** _("I know that, if you had the chance, you would want to be a hero. From the bottom of your heart. Because that's just the way you are. And that's exactly what makes you— MY hero.")_**

.

.

.

.

.

"...Ddraig."

[Hm? What is it, partner?]

"...Thanks…"

[Hm? You are thanking me? It seems I was of some assistance then?]

"Yeah…. You always are… Even earlier when I was facing the Devil-king, you were able to keep me in check.."

[Yes, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do that. It was luck that made my efforts meaningful.]

"Yeah… But it was still thanks to you…. And now, I think I may have learned something more about myself too… You've always been kinda like my mentor in that way…"

[Hmm, is that so? —A "mentor", ey? How interesting. It still amuses me to this day, the fact that this host treats me with such respect, I never would have imagined the possibility that such a thing could happen. Considering that all of my past hosts ignored me after all. Somehow, I can't say that I haven't been appreciative of the time we've had as partners as well. Perhaps I had grown weary of the overbearing silence up to this point. Hmph. A "lonely dragon emperor". How amusing. We are one in the same, partner.]

"...Yeah…. Just a little bit, huh…. 'Guess I'll never really be alone then..."

[Indeed. I will always be here. —So, I assume you have found your answer then?]

"...I don't know. But I have to confirm one last thing.."

Issei stood up from his bed and walked out of his room. He walked through the dark hallway, reaching the door of Asia and Raynare's shared room. When he reached the door, he softly placed two knocks on the door, just as Asia had done with his.

After knocking, Issei heard a few steps come towards the door. Asia, who was behind it, tried to open the door, but Issei stopped her by holding onto the handle.

"...No, it's fine this way."

"W-What's wrong, Ise-san?"

Issei waited for a moment before asking Asia the question that he considered so important.

"...Asia, tell me…. In this situation... What would you want me to do?"

From behind the door, Asia was silent momentarily. But soon enough, she answered Issei honestly.

And to Issei, for a split second, her voice came out sounding like the voice of another.

 _"...I want you to help her. Because I think that's also what you want to do. Because I believe that is the type of person you aspire to be, Écaille."_

….

….

….

Issei released his grip on the door handle.

 _'Ddraig, I've found my answer.'_

[Hoh? And that is?]

Issei finally lifted his head, his expression becoming visible in the darkness thanks to the dim, emerald glow of his eyes.

 _ **"The answer is obvious, isn't it?**_ "

—Perhaps an expression of determination.

* * *

[Sirzechs-sama.]

That very same night, only a mere hour after Sirzechs's first meeting with the Sekiryuutei, Sirzechs received a communication circle from Grayfia once again.

[We have his reply.]

Sirzechs placed his hands up near his face in an intrigued manner.

"..Hoh?"

* * *

 **END**

 **Alright, FOR REAL THIS TIME, you have a small amount of time** **to write your reviews for this one. Seriously. This shit should NOT have taken almost a month to get out. Life gets in the way like a bitch.**

 **SERIOUSLY THOUGH, you only have ONE DAY to put your reviews in. Tomorrow the next part WILL come out. GUARANTEED. So hurry up! Get your reviews in cuz it's DOUBLE UPLOAD TIME!**


	19. Chapter 19: The Boy vs The Phoenix

**What's this?! Could it be?! The legendary "DOUBLE UPLOAD"?!**

 **YES, it has returned! So let's not waste any time! Here it is!**

 **The RISE, AND FALL(?), OF PHOENIX!**

 **(Disclaimer: there's gonna be a bit of jumping around here and there, bear with it for now. It's kind of just an unfortunate necessity for this one.)**

* * *

 _ **The Boy vs. The Phoenix**_

* * *

The first thing that Rias was told when she woke up in the morning, by a person she didn't expect to wake her, Grayfia, was that there was a certain "event" that was about to take place.

When Rias asked in confusion what it was, Grayfia simply told her: The fight between Sekiryuutei and Phoenix.

And of course, Rias's response was an unsurprising:

"Eh?"

—After being awoken, Rias was joined by Akeno, both of them being confused by the circumstances. Although Rias attempted to interrogate Grayfia about the situation, Grayfia ignored her, claiming that she needed to retrieve other "personnel".

But before leaving them, Grayfia advised Rias to return to a certain place.

That place being none other than the academy which she attends.

 _ **Dakun!**_

Rias threw open the doors to what appeared to be a fancy board meeting room located in the main school building.

When she opened the doors, Rias and her Queen who accompanied her, Akeno, noticed the room filled with people. Gathered around an oval table with lavish seats were various faces that Rias immediately recognized.

Her mother, her father, her older brother, and even the parents of her betrothed, lord and lady Phoenix. The only daughter of Phoenix was present as well, but not the sons. It seems they couldn't attend.

"Ah, Rias. You've arrived."

Sirzechs acknowledged Rias's presence upon entry.

"Onii-sama! Otou-sama and Okaa-sama as well!"

Rias approached her family members on one side of the table, only being accompanied by Akeno.

"Onii-sama, Otou-sama, Okaa-sama, why are we all here? I don't understand what is going on. Grayfia only said something unbelievable to me and disappeared."

"I assume that involved something related to the [fight between Sekiryuutei and Phoenix]?"

"..!"

Rias widened her eyes in shock.

"What do you mean, Onii-sama?! What "fight"?!"

"Well, Rias, as I explained to our parents and Raiser's parents just a moment ago: Raiser and the newly discovered ally Sekiryuutei seem to have developed a serious disdain for each other. You and Grayfia witnessed that firsthand, Rias. It's unfortunate, but things of this manner happen. However, we were even more unfortunate enough to realize that both of these beings happened to be very _stubborn_ ones. As a result, they simply can't stand each other one bit, and they practically refuse _not_ to start a conflict. Considering that the Sekiryuutei is our new ally, and may be integrating himself with Devil society at some point in the future, it may come to pass that he and Raiser would meet one another at different times and places. This begs the question: "What if they randomly decide to fight each other in the future and cause a mayhem?" This could prove to be a problem if it continues this way between them. That's why, after discussing it with both Raiser and the Sekiryuutei himself, I decided that something like a "showdown" was in order. Perhaps if we allowed the two warriors to have a face-off just once, they could let out their frustrations and step away from each other amicably. It's been seen before, when there are two rival Devils who have great contempt for one another, then end up becoming close friends after facing off in a [Rating Game] against each other. So I thought, 'why not let them fight?' And for that very reason, we've been brought here, as spectators for this match."

 **[—?!]**

Rias was shocked as she processed all of the information given to her.

Sirzechs embellished the truth a bit when he explained it to her. Of course it was true that Issei didn't like Raiser, but he never explicitly identified himself as being closely affiliated with any supernatural faction. Nor did Issei claim to have the intention to integrate himself into Devil society. And Sirzechs most certainly does _not_ believe that Issei and Raiser would become "friends" after this event. But all of that was necessary to say if Sirzechs wanted to convince his parents and the Phoenix family that this event was just what he said it was.

Rias asked Sirzechs, unsure of herself.

"...Then, this really doesn't involve me?"

Sirzechs answered with a plain look on his face.

"Hmm? Ah, no, of course not. I'm not even sure what you're trying to imply with that. I only invited you because I assumed you would be interested in watching. It is a match between your good friend the Sekiryuutei and your fiance after all."

"...But, if that is true, then why are Okaa-sama and Otou-sama here?"

"Well, I thought that they would be interested too. They are going to be Raiser's mother & father-in-law, so maybe they'd like to see something like this, that could be considered "legendary" fight. It's fairly simple really, Rias."

Sirzechs finished off by looking away from Rias, but he sent her one glance with his eyes afterward. It was as if he was telling her to 'stop asking suspicious questions'.

And even though Rias didn't entirely understand it, she decided against questioning her brother any further.

Rias hesitantly sat down in a seat beside her parents, with Akeno by her side.

"Ahh~, I can't believe Onii-sama made an enemy out of the Sekiryuutei. And according to Sirzechs-sama, he did it right around the time that the Sekiryuutei became our ally! Honestly, Onii-sama can be so bull-headed sometimes."

The one who said it in an annoyed tone, with her cheek resting against her palm and a "princess" esque demeanor— was Ravel Phoenix, the only daughter of Phoenix.

Rias realized it after hearing the words of Ravel. No one else besides Akeno and her actually know the real circumstances behind Issei's existence. They only think that Rias met him recently, and that Sirzechs secured him as an ally shortly after. And that, somehow, Issei and Raiser ended up meeting and hating each other, which led to this. She has to assume that they know he is also a student at her school, otherwise, it wouldn't make too much sense.

But is that the extent of their knowledge? And if it is, then why did Sirzechs intentionally leave it that way? Why not the full truth, which he now certainly knew?

Just as Rias was questioning it, a magic circle bearing the crest of Gremory appeared in the corner of the room and multiple figures came out from it.

"I have returned with the party of the Sekiryuutei."

Grayfia announced their presence just as they arrived. Behind her, there stood Asia and Raynare, but Issei was not with them.

"Asia! Raynare!"

"B-Buchou-san?"

Rias immediately went over to Asia and Raynare with a surprised face.

"What are you two doing here?"

Instead of being answered by the two women, Rias was answered by Sirzechs himself.

"I invited them too, of course. They are the Sekiryuutei's closest companions, it would only be natural that they would accompany him."

While Rias was confused as to why Issei wasn't together with them, another voice spoke up from the table. A handsome, middle-aged man with crimson hair, Zeoticus Gremory. Sirzechs and Rias's father.

"..A Fallen-Angel?"

Zeoticus mentioned it while giving Raynare, who was at the other side of the room, a suspicious look.

"Why is there a Fallen-Angel among them? Not to mention, even a sister?"

Raynare's skin went as pale as snow, and she clamped her hand tightly around Asia's own, to the point that it was hurting her. She had only just realized all of the beings she was surrounded by.

"They are the Sekiryuutei's companions, Otou-ue."

"..One of the Sekiryuutei's companions is a Fallen-Angel and the other is a church girl? You didn't find it important to question that, Sirzechs?"

"Need I mention Rias's Queen?"

"She is a servant of Gremory and she was attained under very special circumstances. And there are certainly no church members amongst her servants either."

"This Fallen-Angel and sister's circumstances were also special."

Zeoticus raised a brow at Sirzechs, and Raynare only became even more terrified. But Sirzechs brought up his hand to ease his father's concerns.

"Don't worry, Otou-ue. We've verified it properly. The Fallen-Angel is no longer affiliated with any Fallen-Angel organization or personnel. And the church girl is a follower of heaven in belief only. She has no official connection to the church, nor does she maintain any animosity towards Devils either, surprisingly enough. Their only affiliation is with the Sekiryuutei now, and that ties them to us Devils."

Zeoticus narrowed his eyes slightly, but then he nodded, satisfied with Sirzechs's answer.

"Very well. If you say it is so then I'll believe it, Sirzechs."

Raynare's grip on Asia's hand only loosened slightly, and though it caused her discomfort, Asia never complained about it.

"Please, sit here."

Grayfia led Raynare and Asia to a couple of empty seats at one end of the table, away from both groups of Devils. Rias returned to the seat between her parents and Akeno. Again, Rias was left wondering where in the world Issei was.

But the answer to her question would come to her soon enough.

"Grayfia, if you would, please."

Sirzechs gestured to Grayfia and Grayfia walked up to a projection monitor that was at the front of the room. This wasn't any normal projector, however. The projector was developed with Devil technology.

Just as Grayfia pressed a button on the side of the projector, a magic circle spawned atop the projector and multiple holographic screens appeared in the air. This was the technology that they sometimes used for VIP rooms during [Rating Games].

On the screens, the track and field yard of Kuoh Academy could be seen. And on that yard, a familiar person was seen standing there, alone.

"Raiser..!"

Rias exclaimed when she realized who it was. Raiser was standing out there with an angry expression on his face. He appeared to be waiting, patiently. For the first time in his life, Raiser, despite his visible aggravation, was acting extraordinarily patient. To Rias, it was an unbelievable sight.

"Onii-sama! You can't mean for them to have a fight here!? The academy could be damaged!"

Rias shouted that with concern, but Sirzechs merely smiled at her.

"Take a closer look, Rias."

When Rias returned her gaze to the screen, she noticed an interesting detail about the sky. It was an unusual color. But it wasn't unrecognizable. Rias recognized that sort of sky from the ones that were also present in Rating Games.

Raiser wasn't on school grounds. He was in a fabricated dimension.

"This is another dimension created by Grayfia for the match. It's meant to resemble your academy exactly. I decided that if the two of them were going to have a face-off, with Raiser being the one with an immortality power advantage, it would be fair to give the Sekiryuutei a home advantage and put him in a location he is familiar with."

Sirzechs explained it like that and put Rias's worries to rest. Or at least, for the most part. Because for Rias, there was still one worry left.

 _'...What is going on? Ise, where are you?'_

However, Rias's worry didn't last for long. After a short while of patient waiting, the second guest of honor that the room of spectators was waiting for began to appear.

[ _ **Shiin!**_ ]

Through the screen that was focused on Raiser, there was a magic circle that spawned a few meters ahead of him.

"It seems that our Sekiryuutei has arrived."

Just as Sirzechs said that, a familiar figure appeared out of the Gremory transportation circle in the field, facing away from Raiser.

Rias whispered his name under her breath.

"...Ise."

* * *

 _ **Shiin!**_

Out in the field of the fake dimension's academy, the figure of a certain boy— No— The Red Dragon Emperor, appeared.

Hyoudou Issei has finally arrived.

Looking up at the sky, Issei could tell that this was not the academy he was familiar with. Though he recognized these grounds, the sky above was foreign. This is more than likely the cause of some Devil magic.

In that case, Issei should take Grayfia's word about the "extra dimension" seriously. No wonder Ddraig warned him of her, she must be powerful to pull such a thing off.

But as of currently, Issei had more important matters to attend to. Namely, the person he could immediately tell was standing a few meters behind him.

 _ **Rip**_..

Issei tore up the 'transportation flyer' he received from Grayfia, considering that he no longer needed it. He crumpled up the remains in his palm and turned around.

When he turned his body, Issei was finally face-to-face with the child of narcissism, Raiser Phoenix. And upon meeting eyes, both of the men's gazes became firm with determination and anger.

Issei released the torn up pieces of paper away from himself, revealing that he had turned them into nothing but ash in his palm. A breeze blew through Issei's hair and clothing, quickly scattering the paper's ashes into the air.

A draft, in a fake dimension? Issei easily deduced that the one creating this draft was none other than Raiser himself. After all, there were soft winds being picked up near the Devil's shoes.

And just like the time they had previously met, Issei and Raiser were caught in an unwavering stare-off with intimidating glares.

No words need be exchanged between the two. They knew exactly what they were here for, and that was all that mattered.

Then, a voice could be heard echoing through the sky.

[Greetings, Raiser Phoenix, Red Dragon Emperor Hyoudou Issei. It is I, Sirzechs Lucifer, Maou of the underworld. —As we all discussed separately before, today you two will be having a "face-off" of sorts. In order for you two to possibly reconcile your differences in the future, we have all agreed that it may be best for you to express your grievances through more "physical" means. After all, it seems to be the most preferred option for fighters like you two. —That being said, as this is practically nothing more than a duel, there are currently no rules set. Therefore, I thought it candid to ask you two upfront what sort of match you suggest.]

Sirzechs ended his lengthy introduction with an opening for dialogue, prompting a response from either fighter.

The one who ended up speaking first was the one with the biggest mouth, Raiser.

"I propose a death-match!"

Raiser said it clearly, loud enough for all of the spectators to hear.

—Inside of the spectators room, there was a bit of shock to be had.

[I propose a death-match!]

 **[—?!]**

The spectators were taken aback by Raiser's declaration, with the most vocal of them being Rias, who stood up from her seat and shouted.

"What?! A death-match!? You can't be serious! Onii-sama, you can't allow that! It wouldn't make sense for Issei, who is a human, to participate in something like that! It's unfair!"

Sirzechs brought up a hand to calm his sister.

"I understand what you are saying, Rias. It's true that Raiser would undeniably have an unfair advantage in something like a death-match, being that he is immortal. In fact, it's very likely that he proposed it for that very reason. He could be testing the metal of the Sekiryuutei."

Next, Sirzechs's father Zeoticus commented.

"Still, a death-match? It doesn't sound as if Raiser has any plans of "reconciling differences" after this duel is over."

"Indeed. It's problematic. And considering that it is Raiser, I wouldn't take it as a bluff. However, I have a feeling that the Sekiryuutei may agree to it. But it is also true that the Sekiryuutei would be a valuable asset to the Devils as an ally. Losing him would be serious, especially so shortly after discovery. —Even so, in the end, it is the decision of the fighters, not our own. First, let us see what the other thinks."

—In the field, Sirzechs's voice came out from the sky again.

[What does the Red Dragon Emperor say to this proposition? Do you refuse or have a suggestion of your own?]

Issei answered the question clearly and without ever removing his firm gaze from Raiser.

"I accept."

 **[—?!]**

Issei's reply shocked not only the spectators, but even Raiser slightly. Of course, that shock didn't last long, and Raiser scoffed instead.

"Hmph. Fool."

Sirzechs's voice returned to speak.

[Bear in mind that the Phoenix clan Devils are immortal and possess the ability to regenerate from virtually any injury with ease. Even knowing this, would you still be willing to accept, Hyoudou Issei?]

Issei said it without his determination ever faltering.

"Yeah."

[Very well. If this is the case, considering that Raiser Phoenix is immortal, we'll modify the rules to the death-match a bit. The condition for defeat against Phoenix is forfeit, or the equivalent of 10 "deaths". A "death" for the Phoenix is any moment in which Raiser is incapacitated as a result of "fatal" attacks. In other words, having his head blown away would be a "technical death", since it would kill most regular beings. 10 of those technical kills and Raiser Phoenix will lose. The condition for defeat against Sekiryuutei is forfeit, or simply death. However, considering that the Sekiryuutei is considered a very valuable asset, I will add a caveat to the match outcome on behalf of the Sekiryuutei. —Should the Sekiryuutei, Hyoudou Issei, die in this battle, we will have him reincarnated as a Devil here. That way, there won't be an unbalanced outcome, as opposed to him dying and suffering a great loss to the Devil side.]

 **[—?!]**

—Amongst the spectators, the older Devils were nodding their heads in understanding. After all, it would be terrible to lose an asset as valuable as the Sekiryuutei because of a duel. It made sense.

However, amongst the younger audience members, there was an immense shock to be shared.

"Ise becoming a Devil?! Onii-sama, you can't be serious!"

"Of course I am, Rias. The Red Dragon Emperor is valuable. To let him die like this would be a waste. Whether he agrees to this condition is up to him. But in that case, the death-match will not take place. Or, Raiser will have to settle for a simple duel. But I don't see that happening. Either way, I don't plan to lose the Sekiryuutei for no reason."

The spectators attention returned to the screens to observe Issei's reaction.

His face did not change, nor did his attitude.

[Fine by me.]

Much to the collective surprise of the spectators, Issei accepted the condition.

"Under whose peerage would he serve, should he fall?"

Zeoticus inquired curiously. Lord Phoenix replied to him forthwith.

"He should serve under the Phoenix household. He is challenging Raiser after all. It only makes sense that the compensation would be to serve our clan if he lost."

Lord Phoenix said it candidly, but Zeoticus countered his point.

"On the contrary, he should serve under Gremory because he was already closely affiliated with our daughter, the heiress. It would only be natural for him to become her servant. It wouldn't make sense for him to become the servant of a stranger, much less a rival."

"I disagree. It should be more of an argument for utility. The Sekiryuutei could be infinitely more useful to the Devils under the care of the Phoenix clan. Most especially if said clan has a rival for him to stimulate growth."

"Perhaps we should ask the Sekiryuutei to make a decision beforehand?"

"No, since he is here, let's ask Sirzechs."

The two Devils then turned to Sirzechs, who appeared to be more interested in the fighters inside of the extra dimension.

"Why don't we wait to see the outcome of the match first? Though if you want my opinion, Rias should get him. They're friends after all."

"Sirzechs, judging by your words, you seem confident that the Sekiryuutei might win. It couldn't be that you're hoping for that, for some reason?"

Sirzechs simply smiled at Lord Phoenix's non-aggressive accusation.

"Of course not. It's just a hunch."

Zeoticus chimed in as well.

"But 10 'technical deaths'? Are you entirely sure this Sekiryuutei can even pull such a feat off? It seems quite extreme. He would have to be very powerful in order to get someone like Raiser even a few times."

"I have good intuition. But if the Sekiryuutei has a complaint about it, I'm sure he will make it heard. Besides, even if he loses, he'll become Rias's servant. Right?"

Although Rias didn't find the idea of Issei becoming her servant bad at all, in this situation, she would honestly prefer that he won instead.

—Back inside of the fake dimension, Issei and Raiser were both glaring at each other while waiting patiently for the duel to start.

Issei could still feel the subtle breeze blowing around his and Raiser's body. The breeze blew through Issei's red jacket, and he even felt the wind going into his shirt and moving the cross hidden under it.

He has no choice but to assume that, the moment the duel starts, Raiser will attack him to kill.

….

This jacket felt heavy to Issei. Unbelievably heavy. Sometimes it even felt like it was covered in blood.

That's because this is the jacket Issei was wearing when Marie died. And in fact, the dark spots from where her blood never washed off were still there.

The same jacket that Issei had pressed up against Marie's bleeding wound. He never thought he would ever wear it again in his life. His just kept it with him as a reminder, a grim momento that he could never toss away.

Issei doesn't know why he chose to wear it again, especially today of all days.

But perhaps, it was because a part of him believed that his actions from today were being entirely influenced by the person who bled on this jacket.

Whatever the case, despite how heavy the jacket felt to Issei, he also couldn't help but feel that it was comforting to him.

It made him feel like he didn't have a doubt in his mind about anything anymore.

Sirzechs's voice returned to disrupt the overbearing silence in the air.

[We have set the conditions for the duel except for one. With 10 technical deaths or a forfeit, Phoenix will lose. With death or forfeit, the Sekiryuutei will lose. And if the Sekiryuutei loses, he will become a Devil, most likely to Gremory. However, considering that the odds are still stacked heavily in Phoenix's favor, the risk to reward for the Sekiryuutei is horribly unbalanced. That's why, in lieu of this realization, I have decided that it would be fair to offer the Sekiryuutei something in return for winning. A reward. For example, a "wish" of some kind that the Sekiryuutei could request for. Fame, wealth, power, or something else. That being said, is there anything that the Sekiryuutei would like to request?]

Issei glanced up at the empty sky. There was nothing there for him to see, but his instinct kept leading him to that place.

—Inside of the spectator room, Rias felt like Issei was looking straight at her through the projection.

Sirzechs smirked to himself subtly.

—Back in the field, Issei said his answer loud and clear.

"I'll ask for it when I win."

Issei then returned his gaze to Raiser, who was glaring even stronger than before. The tension was now reaching its peak.

[Alright. The conditions are set. Do both fighters agree to these terms?]

Both Raiser and Issei replied without hesitation.

" "Yeah." "

[Very well. In that case, there is nothing left to be said. —Let the duel between the Sekiryuutei and Phoenix— **Begin**.]

And the moment the match had commenced, Raiser released a stream of flames from his hands that engulfed the entire area in front of him, including Issei.

 _ **FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

 **[—?!]**

Raiser had spared not even a second to destroy Issei. His attack was undoubtedly a "certain kill" move.

"How do you like that, you smug, human trash!?"

The flames that Raiser had poured out began to lower in intensity, though the place in front of him was scorched and still burning. He couldn't make out any shapes in the flames, so he looked around the surrounding area. But there was nothing. Nothing behind him, nor anywhere around him.

 _'Did I incinerate him already?'_

Raise kept glancing around suspiciously, but he returned his gaze to the flames when he caught something moving within them through his peripheral vision.

 _ **Foom!**_

Raiser narrowed his eyes when it started to look like his flames were moving around. They almost appeared as if they were moving in a "swirling" motion.

 _ **Foooooom!**_

No, that was the case. They were swirling around in a circular motion, but not in midair. They were being moved "into" something.

Actually, it looked like they were getting sucked up..?

 **["Consume!"]**

"..!"

Raiser's eyes widened at the sight in front of him.

There was Issei, perfectly unharmed, protected by a thick aura.

And now, Raiser's flames were getting sucked into a jewel on the red gauntlet on his left arm.

"I hate _eating_ cold flames like these, they make my head hurt. Or maybe that's actually the ego in it?"

"Wha—?!"

Before Raiser could even register his shock, Issei appeared below Raiser, with his arm cocked back.

"Show me how effective your healing ones are."

 **[Boost!]**

And Issei delivered a nasty punch straight into Raiser's abdomen.

 _ **DOOOOONN!**_

"..!"

Raiser's mouth opened to release a yelp, but no sound came out.

And when Raiser went down to look where he had been punched, there was a hole that had been punched through his torso, already healing itself.

" **That's one**."

—And after quickly accounting for Raiser's first "death", Issei immediately appeared behind Raiser and launched him towards the direction of the New School Building 20 meters away.

 _ **DOOONNN!**_

Raiser crashed into the New School Building and created a large dust cloud with his impact.

….

….

—Within the spectator room, there was nothing but complete and utter silence.

Some were silent out of astonishment, and others out of sudden enthrallment with the battle.

The only one of them that spoke was Sirzechs, who grew an intrigued smirk on his face.

"...Unbelievable."

—Raiser, who was launched into the New School Building, stood up from the floor with an unsteady foot. He caught himself on his knees before he could lose his footing.

"...What in the hell...just happened..?"

Right as Raiser asked that to himself, a voice echoed through the seemingly empty building.

"What's wrong, Yakitori? Having cold feet? Or maybe I should say, cold wings?"

"..!"

Raiser's head darted around the building, trying to find the origin of the voice's location. He looked towards the staircases, balconies, windows, pillars, and doorways. He glanced all around him, but found nothing.

"I always preferred this style. Fighting using stealth and strategy. I grew up fighting monsters stronger than me after all…. But now it's different. Now, I'm the monster. And even though stalking like a predator has its perks, predators have to be flexible too. And since you're such a loud guy, it makes me wanna go "loud" too, ya know?"

Raiser realized something vital only a second too late. There was one place he had forgotten to check.

—The ceiling.

 **[Boost!]**

But Issei had already landed on Raiser's head, wrapping his legs around Raiser's neck. And without wasting any time, Issei grabbed Raiser's head and twisted it 180 degrees, spinning it upside down and "killing" him once again.

 _ **BREAK!**_

Raiser's body collapsed to the floor with a thud and his head was engulfed in flames, healing him only seconds after being "killed". But before Raiser could regenerate, Issei began speaking to Raiser.

"Neh, tell me, Raiser. Is it scary? Y'know, dying?"

Issei reared one of his legs back to kick Raiser.

"If it is.."

 **[Boost!]**

"—then blame Satan."

And right when his head came back, Raiser was sent flying out of the New School Building and into the open track field again.

 _ **DOOOOOOOONNNN!**_

And because he was kicked in the head, Raiser landed in the field with a regenerating skull, suffering him a third "death".

—Inside the spectator room, Sirzechs turned to his father, who had made a comment to him earlier, and smiled.

"Perhaps 10 deaths wasn't enough, Otou-ue."

—After regenerating his skull, Raiser quickly brought himself up and expanded his flaming wings. He was entirely on guard now.

"..It can't be! He's just a human! No human has that strength, even with the Boosted Gear! It's impossible!"

"Only things that can't be happening are impossible, Yakitori!"

Issei shouted to Raiser while exiting the New School Building he had been launched out of.

"But this is already happening.. You should be less worried about what I can do, and more about what I can take from you."

Raiser growled in anger.

"Rrgh! You..! What are you?! No humans have strength like this! What have you done to yourself to make it like this?!"

Issei's face grew a sinister smile.

"Let's just say that I have the strength of more than fifty men inside of me.."

"Hah?"

Raiser didn't understand Issei's implication, but Issei ignored it and walked to a spot ahead of Raiser. He stopped within 10 meters of Raiser's body. Issei said it while cracking and stretching different parts of his body.

"You know, Raiser… I think that someone like me..has a lot of frustrations."

"What?"

Issei continued without consideration for Raiser.

"Ya see, I'm a very.."unhinged" person. Honestly, I'm a fuckin' nutcase, haha. But y'know, I can live with that for the most part. I'm cool with it. I just don't want it to become a problem for my companions. I could end up hurting one of them one day because of it… That's why, I've decided that maybe it was a good idea to let those frustrations out in some way. A release. Or more like a catharsis. And considering the Devils that I've been meeting these past few days, including you….. I desperately need it…. So, that just leaves me thinking: what's the absolute best way to let out one's frustrations and violent tendencies without killing anything? The answer to that is…"

Issei's sinister grin from before only became ever more psychotic when looking at Raiser.

"— _ **Just let it out on a bastard who won't die**_."

Then, Issei shot forward with an inhuman speed.

 **[—?!]**

In his shock, Raiser took to the one place he assumed Issei couldn't follow him, the skies.

Raiser flew up above Issei and began releasing a volley of flames onto the ground below.

 _ **Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom Foom!**_

Issei bolted around the open field, dodging every blast with ease. Raiser was in disbelief. A human that was this fast was almost unbelievable. But he has no choice other than to believe it. After all, it's happening.

So, Raiser increased the amount of fire blasts and continued sending them down towards Issei. Issei simply went on dodging the attacks.

Seeing that his method wasn't going to work, Raiser instead created a fireball that was seven times the size of his own body and raised it above his head. Raiser decided that the best idea was simply to destroy the area altogether.

"LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN DODGE THIS!"

Raiser hurled the fireball toward the earth below with a roar. And a section of the track field was quickly destroyed in a pillar of fire.

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOM!**_

After the explosion, there was a crater left over where the fireball was thrown into. And on the field below, Issei was nowhere to be seen.

"I got him!"

Raiser proclaimed his victory with a smile, but it was all too soon.

"—This makes four."

But Raiser turned around to see that Issei was floating in the air like him, with large dragon wings protruding from his back.

 **[Boost!]**

And with a punch to face by Boosted Gear, Raiser was sent careening down to the field, earning him yet another "death" from Issei.

 _ **DOOOOOONN!**_

—For the spectators, there was speculation to be had. A skeptical Lord Phoenix said it first.

"Wings? That man is just a human, isn't he? Wasn't it said that the hosts of Sekiryuutei could only use wings in their Balance Breaker form?"

Sirzechs rubbed his chin with intrigue.

"Yes, that's what is known.."

Over time, Sirzechs only became more and more interested in Hyoudou Issei.

 _'...As I thought, there must be something special about this host after all.'_

—Raiser took himself out of the small crater that was created from his impact. Luckily, the crash itself wouldn't be counted as a death, since most Devils would survive it.

But when Raiser looked up, he saw that Issei was already flying towards him at a high speed.

 **[—?!]**

Because Raiser was caught unprepared, he reacted on instinct and shot flames at Issei relentlessly. But just as he did before, Issei popped out from the flames and punched Raiser through them.

Raiser was sent flying away, but Issei used the speed of his wings to catch up to Raiser's moving body. Issei stopped just ahead of where Raiser was heading and kicked him back in the opposite direction. The inertia of the impact caused major damage to Raiser's insides, but since he was immortal, it made no difference. That doesn't mean it didn't hurt.

 _ **DOONNN!**_

Raiser was sent away and Issei followed him again. This time, instead of sending him another direction, Issei opted to grab onto Raiser's body and drag it across the ground, without losing momentum, and breaking the ground along the way.

Issei then threw Raiser's body into the trees that surrounded the academy, and there Raiser came to a stop after crashing through multiple trees.

 _ **CRASH!**_

"Shit! Fuck!"

Raiser stood up, enraged and disoriented. He couldn't believe what was happening. He was being manhandled by a mere human. It was an inconceivable outcome for him. He is a Phoenix. It can't be that a lowly human would cause him to suffer like this, even if it is the Sekiryuutei. He couldn't be defeated like this.

...Right?

 _ **Zip!**_

Just as Raiser was becoming unsure of himself, Issei once again appeared in front of him. This time, he had no wings. He didn't plan on flying anymore.

"YOU BASTAAARD!"

Raiser immediately planted a full-powered left hook into Issei's cheek, with flames surrounding his arm. The attack connected.

 _ **BAM!**_

Raiser experienced a moment of levity, realizing that his attack did connect after all.

 **[Boost!]**

However…

"...That actually did hurt y'know? Ptu!"

Issei spat out a wad of blood and looked Raiser in the face, pushing his fist back with only his cheek. Neither of them were smiling anymore.

"There goes your only free hit."

 **[—?!]**

Raiser was given no time to react, and a strike was sent straight into his stomach.

 _ **DOOONN!**_

"GAHA—!"

Raiser vomited blood, but his stomach wasn't blown away this time. That proved to be intentional, since Issei would continue releasing a flurry of different punches and kicks to Raiser's body in quick succession.

 _ **DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON!**_

In the end, it only took Issei five boosts to surpass Raiser's level of strength. And Issei had already discreetly boosted himself twice before the start of the duel. So by the time Issei had landed his first punch, he was already at three.

"BUHA—!"

Issei gave Raiser one last punch to the face that sent him to the floor. Raiser struggled to get up, and Issei just cracked his neck in a casual manner.

"Oy, oy, what's wrong, Raiser? Why ain't ya talkin' all high and mighty like you're usually used to? Don't tell me you're actually afraid of dyin' or some shit like that?"

Dying? That was impossible for Raiser. A Phoenix cannot die.

Yet why are Raiser's legs so unsteady? Is it because of the damage he received, or is it because of fear? It couldn't be because of fear. What does Raiser have to fear? Nothing. Even if Issei kills him a thousand times, Raiser will be fine.

But that also means…

"Y'know, the best thing about an immortal bastard is that you can keep killin' em, and they'll still come back. So, basically, that means.."

Issei said it while standing over Raiser with an unnerving gaze.

"— **I can just keep on killin' ya forever**."

That idea sent chills down Raiser's spine, and in a rage, he tried to punch at Issei again.

"SHUT UUUUUUUUUUPP!"

Issei dodged Raiser's hook with ease, and Raiser continued his fruitless efforts of attack. Issei dodged every one of Raiser's frantic and enraged attacks, countering every time that Raiser was too close.

But because of how uncoordinated and erratic that Raiser became, his attacks became slightly difficult to read. Some of the attacks, Issei only managed to dodge at the last second.

 _'Ddraig, how long do I have before I reset?'_

[Only a few minutes.]

 _'Che, maybe I should've just used Scale Mail after all.'_

[It might have ended quicke— Partner!]

Because Issei was too distracted by his inner communication with Ddraig, Raiser was able to fool him with his one coordinated feint attack.

"YOU'RE MINE!"

Raiser then landed a direct hit on Issei's sternum.

 _ **BAM!**_

Raiser's attack landed straight onto Issei's torso, and it caused Issei to spit out a small amount of blood.

"HA! TAKE THAT!"

For some reason, Issei was in shock, and he was staring silently at where he had been struck.

Just as Raiser was about to take the opportunity to hit Issei again, he felt a sharp pain in his hand.

 **[—?!]**

Raiser pulled away his arm, his hand inexplicably bursting into flames, and he howled in pain.

"Aaaaaaargghh!"

Raiser held onto his hand with a confused expression of pain on his face. When looking at Issei, he could see him pull out something from underneath his shirt.

What Issei pulled out his shirt..was a cross. A cross necklace with an emerald jewel in the middle of it. Raiser's punch must have made contact with it.

Issei was looking at the item with wide eyes, as if somehow shocked by its appearance.

—In the spectators room, Zeoticus commented on the appearance of the item.

"A holy cross? That's suspicious. I thought you had said that he didn't have any affiliation with the church, Sirzechs?"

"It could be that he simply shares the beliefs in some way, but doesn't act on them. Or the more likely scenario, he borrowed it from his sister companion of his in preparation for the match."

"Does he know of the Phoenix's weakness to holy items?"

"Unlikely. But I'm sure he knows of Devil's weakness to it in general."

—But the truth is that weakness had nothing to do with it. Issei carried that cross with him anywhere he went.

And right now, he was looking at it with a bizarre expression while Raiser shouted at him.

"Y-You bastard! You had a cross with you?!"

Even though Raiser was yelling at him, Issei did not listen. Instead, Issei just held his cross in his hand delicately, examining it with his eyes.

Upon closer inspection, the source of his state of shock could be seen to him and to him alone.

Small.

But noticeable.

.

.

.

— _There was a small fracture on the gem of the cross._

 **[EXPLOSION!]**

 _ **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMM!**_

An explosion of power was released from Issei's body, sending a green pillar of light into the virtual sky.

The area around Raiser was suddenly overrun by an aura the likes of which he had never experienced, cracking the ground all around.

And Hyoudou Issei— No.

—The Red Dragon Emperor released a mighty roar of fury.

 _ **"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHH!"**_

The green light and blood red aura released from the Sekiryuutei's body blinded Raiser, and it created a strikingly contrasting image of the body of a man distorting into a black mass.

And that figure then turned straight towards Raiser with glowing red eyes.

 _ **"RAAAAISSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!"**_

Raiser had not even a moment to prepare himself, because the Sekiryuutei had already closed the gap with less than a second, and Raiser was sent flying out of the treeline and across the field, only to crash through and out of the New School Building as well.

This was the equivalent of an 80 meter distance.

 _ **DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONN!**_

* * *

—The inside of the spectators room was completely silent.

"...Ise..?"

* * *

"AAH!"

Raiser let out a yell from the ground, realizing that he had just lost consciousness for a moment. He didn't have long to register where he had been sent to, but he did notice something.

The entire bottom half of his body has yet to have regenerated.

And before he could retaliate, a hole was burst through the side of the New School Building Raiser was sent through, revealing that the Sekiryuutei had come for him once again.

 _ **CRASH!**_

Raiser's head was caught and picked up by the speedy Sekiryuutei, and he was taken along for a violent ride. Using Raiser's head, the Sekiryuutei dragged Raiser's body all alongside the New School Building's exterior, destroying its support and foundation, causing it to collapse entirely.

 _ **DOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNN!**_

Raiser's body was then inexplicably sent flying out of the massive cloud of dust created by the building's collapse and into the sky.

Once Raiser was left high in the sky, desperately trying to use his wings to fix himself, he was given no time again. Because a large blast of power was shot towards the descending Raiser.

 **[SHOT!]**

The blast ended up creating a crack in the dimension.

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

—After the blast disappeared, Raiser's body was allowed to fall to the earth again, but as nothing more than a torso.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Raiser made it to the ground below. And the moment Raiser's legs had regenerated enough, the Sekiryuutei appeared and took hold of one of them, using it to slam Raiser's body around the ground like a rag doll.

 _ **SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM!**_

The Sekiryuutei releases Raiser's body into the air after one last slam, but not very high. Instead, the Sekiryuutei quickly plants a fist into what's left of Raiser's body, bringing back down to the ground and creating a large crater.

 _ **DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNN!**_

It was impossible to keep count of how many "deaths" Raiser had accumulated to this point, but it may have already passed the limit.

Unfortunately for Raiser, that wasn't planned to end just yet.

 _ **"RAAAAAAISEEEER!"**_

The smoke was taking time to clear, and a grounded and shaking Raiser could make out an almost inhuman silhouette towering in front of him as he crawled away weakly.

 _ **"HOW DARE YOU, RAISER! HOW DARE YOU PUT YOUR FILTHY HANDS ON HER!? HOW DARE YOU TAINT HER IMAGE!?"**_

—For the first time in his life, Raiser was terrified beyond reason.

This was no human. He could see it before his very eyes. It was a silhouette covered in an inexplicable darkness, growing larger and misshapen.

 _ **"I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH HER AGAIN! YOU WON'T LAY A FINGER ON A SINGLE RED HAIR FOLLICLE ON HER HEAD EVER AGAIN! SHE'S MINE, MINE AND MINE ALONE!"**_

Though Raiser didn't comprehend a single word of the Sekiryuutei's speech, he didn't need to. All he needed to understand in this moment were his base instincts, and those, he understood well.

He was stricken with fear, because the being before him was so imposing that it began to fool his instincts into believing that he would inevitably be killed by it.

 _ **"WHAT'S WRONG, RAISER?! YOU AREN'T TALKING ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY ANYMORE! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CONFIDENCE?! AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE IMMORTAL?! WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID?! IS IT BECAUSE YOUR HEALING ISN'T WORKING?! "**_

Raiser was being taunted by the figure that had a misshapen form in his eyes.

His healing isn't working? That's impossible. The power of the Phoenix is absolute. It was absurd to think otherwise.

And yet, why is Raiser feeling so afraid? Why are instincts telling him that this is where he is going to die? He can't die. It's impossible. He's immortal. The power of the Phoenix is absolute!

….Isn't it?

Raiser glanced down at his regenerating arms and inspected them with his eyes.

..Could it be? Are his eyes playing tricks on him? Is he losing his sanity? Has his sense of time become distorted? Is it the effects of the holy cross's damage to him? Which is it?

—Because if his eyes weren't deceiving him, his arms are regenerating even slower than they should. Perhaps by only a mere second, or perhaps by even a fraction of a second, but it was slower. It was slowing down.

Slower. Slower. Slower. SLOWER.

Until his regeneration came to a stop.

And now, the misshapen figure behind him had finally taken a proper form.

 _ **"RAISER PHOENIX! IN THIS WORLD, YOU'LL COME TO FIND THAT.."**_

—Towering above him, with a size that appeared to expand over the entire dimension with a red hue, and the distorted sound of two voices melting into one—was the form of a dragon. But not just any dragon. It was the Dragon of Domination.

 _The True Red Dragon Emperor._

 _ **"[NOTHING IS IMMORTAL, DEVIL!]"**_

—And in Raiser's mind, the existence of this monster continued to remain and haunt him for eternity.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Raiser let out a howl of terror, his entire vision being dyed in red, and the figure of a dragon hovering over him wherever he looked.

Death was coming. Death was inevitable. Death was inescapable. Death was ever-present.

Death devours everything. And death would certainly devour Raiser.

He was going to die.

 _RAISER WAS GOING TO DIE._

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I DON'T WANT TO DIEEEEEE! SAVE MEEEEEEEEEE! LET ME OOOOUUUUUUUTTT! SIRZECHS-SAMAAAAAAAAAA! FAAAAATHEEEEEEEEEEER!"

—But Raiser was already being eaten alive, and his screams fell on deaf ears.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

 **[Raiser Phoenix has admitted defeat. The Sekiryuutei wins!]**

* * *

[Partner! It's over! You've won! Raiser has forfeited, you have been declared the victor! Look at him as he crawls away! You have broken his spirit! This man is now one who has a trauma towards dragons, there is no need to go on! Calm yourself, lest your anger heighten any further and cause you to go berserk!]

Issei could hear Ddraig's voice booming through his head to silence all of the maddening sounds in Issei's world. His body was still overflowing with power and his rage felt ever poignant.

His arm, which was covered by his Boosted Gear, spewing power forth from its jewel, was reaching out to grab Raiser, who was writhing around on the ground madly. Raiser was screaming in terror at the empty air and flailing around pointlessly, for Issei had not touched him yet.

—Yet Issei could not deny the urge to continue torturing him.

[Partner! Remember why you are here! You may claim that it is to beat down Raiser, but that is not true! You are here to honor the memory of your beloved! You are here to honor what she would have wished!]

 _ **"Marie.."**_

Issei whispered it under his breath with a moment absent of anger.

[That's right! Aren't you here to honor her ideals and her memory of you?]

But as Ddraig said that, Issei was suddenly reminded of what Raiser had done to his necklace.

 ** _"HE SULLIED HER MEMORY..!"_**

[No, partner! Her memory is still intact! He cannot sully her memory, he does not have the power to! So long as you remember who she was, her memory cannot be tainted! And the damage to the cross is minimal! —And even then, she is with you beyond just that cross!]

At that moment, Issei remembered the jacket he was wearing and touched it with his human hand.

[Even without these items, that woman is with you at every time! Because your actions and your values are influenced by her memory! That is why, even without these things, you will still have her with you!]

Ddraig's strategy of quelling the beast's rage seemed to work, and a moment of vulnerability was presented in Issei's psyche.

 ** _"..Marie.."_**

Ddraig seized the opportunity and forced Issei's Boosted Gear to reset his power.

 **[BURST!] [RESET!]**

Issei's power then immediately left him, and he staggered until falling to his knees.

"Ah..!"

Issei prevented himself from collapsing to the floor due to a sudden power loss. Along with his power, a majority of his blind rage disappeared as well.

But when he remembered what Raiser did to his necklace, he almost built it up again.

"..Raiser!"

[No, partner, look! Look at Raiser closely.]

Issei looked over to Raiser who was also on the floor.

[Look at his state. He is already done fighting. Anyone can tell that his mind and spirit are broken.]

It was just as Ddraig said. Looking at Raiser from the outside, it was obvious that he was incapable of retaliation. Perhaps he may not have lost his mind entirely, but in this moment of time, that was certainly the case. He was acting like nothing more than a deranged mental patient experiencing hallucinations.

"...He's done?"

[Look at him, partner. He is done.]

Issei need only listen to Raiser's words to agree with Ddraig.

"NO! STAY AWAY! REGENERATE! PLEASE REGENERATE! AAH, NO, WAIT!"

Issei stood up after realizing it.

"So he's done, huh..."

But Issei wasn't entirely satisfied. Even knowing that Raiser was incapable of denying him, Issei walked over to Raiser to say one last thing.

Issei took Raiser by the collar and said it threateningly to him.

"Stay out of my life. And while you're at it, stay out of Rias Gremory's life. I don't want to see your face ever again."

"AAAAAH! NOOO, LET ME GOO! SOMEONE, HELP MEEEE!"

Issei dropped the traumatized Raiser and he simply continued flailing around on the floor.

Issei stood tall over Raiser, looking up to the false sky with a hand over his cross. He let out a sigh, satisfied with his victory.

 _'...I did it, Marie. I..did the stupid "hero" thing. Just like ya wanted..'_

And with an entertained chuckle, Issei was transported out of the fake dimension along with Raiser.

 ** _SHIIN!_**

* * *

When Issei opened his eyes, he was in the main courtyard of Kuoh Academy. But looking up to the early morning sky revealed that this was just the normal human world.

 _ **Clap, clap, clap!**_

Issei turned around to see a group of people behind him, with Sirzechs in the middle, clapping for him.

"That was quite the display, Hyoudou Issei. I must say that I'm impressed. Even I myself did not expect for you to defeat Raiser Phoenix so expertly, especially without using your "Balance Breaker".

Issei walked up to the group with the scratch of his neck.

"Yeah, well, you don't know shit about me, do you, Satan?"

Although Issei gave Sirzechs an unfriendly response, Sirzechs merely laughed it off.

"Hahaha, I suppose that is true. By the way, you said something to Raiser at the end of the duel. It couldn't be that something like that is your wish?"

Sirzechs asked Issei, as if trying to lead him into a question, but Issei missed the implication.

"Huh? What wish?"

"Why, your reward, of course! Don't you recall, I made a promise to you at the beginning of the match. If you were to win, then you would be able to ask me of anything that you desire. It was only fair, since the odds didn't seem to be in your favor back then. Though, now I see that it was perhaps the opposite, haha. Regardless, as a Maou, I am bound to my word, and it is my duty to fulfill any promise I have made. That counts most especially if it is for high level officials, or, for invaluable allies such as yourself. Therefore, whatever you ask of me, I shall do whatever is within my realm of ability to fulfill."

Issei realized Sirzechs's implication and understood what he meant. Issei's eyes moved over to where his group was standing, alongside of Rias and Akeno, who were all looking at him with astonished faces.

When Rias realized that she was actually the one under Issei's gaze, she flinched. Issei sighed quietly and looked away from her.

Issei said it with the rub of his neck.

"..Uh, in that case, cancel the marriage between Rias and Raiser Phoenix, I guess."

 **[—?!]**

And with his request, a shock that dwarfed all of the previous shocks filled the area.

"What?!"

Zeoticus exclaimed in shock, not at all expecting such a request from Issei. He then urged Sirzechs to deny it.

"Sirzechs, you can't possibly mean to fulfill such a request? Someone like this Sekiryuutei, who is only human and has no presence in Devil society, he can't make such a bold request. It is out of his line to ask for such a thing and you, even as a Maou, cannot allow it."

Sirzechs rubbed his chin with a complicated expression. But to Issei, of all people, he already knew it was fake.

"Hmm. That is a tall demand indeed. Even as Satan, I have little that I can say or do regarding such a matter. But as a Maou, I must keep my word…"

Sirzechs easily threw away his conflicted expression and turned around with a smile.

"In that case, let's just leave that matter to be decided by Raiser and Rias themselves."

Sirzechs gestured to Raiser, who was sitting near the fountain, being comforted by his sister.

"If Raiser wishes to marry Rias, then may he come over to her and take her away with him to get married, regardless of her opinion, or forever hold his peace?"

With that, Sirzechs had practically given an open invitation for Raiser to marry Rias, causing her to feel nervous. But as Raiser proved by his words and attitude, that was something he did not want. Instead of the expected response, Raiser's body recoiled in terror.

"NOOO! STAY AWAY FROM ME, RIAS! DON'T COME NEAR ME! YOU'LL GET ME KILLED! STAY AWAAAY!"

Raiser's reaction was less than enthusiastic, and despite this, or perhaps because of this, Sirzechs smiled.

"My, what harsh words. It doesn't seem like Raiser wants to marry Rias very much, Lord Phoenix, Lady Phoenix."

Sirzechs said it to the parents of Raiser, who weren't very happy at the moment. But Raiser's father sighed and walked over to his son.

"NO, NO! DON'T KILL ME! AAAH, MY ARMS! WHY WON'T THEY COME BACK?! AAAH!"

"Onii-sama, your arms are right here, look! Look, your arms are fully healed already!"

"NOOO! STOP! LET ME GO! AAAH, MY LEGS! IT'S EATING MEEE!"

When Lord Phoenix stepped up to Raiser, he pulled his daughter to the side.

"That's enough, Ravel. Leave him be."

"B-But, Otou-sama..!"

"It's his own fault that he's become like this. He should have known better. The power of Phoenix isn't absolute. If it's Raiser, then he'll likely recover to some extent. And it will be a good lesson for him. If not...then he only did it to himself."

Ravel Phoenix looked devastated for a moment, but then her face became angry and she ran up towards the Sekiryuutei, Issei.

"Y-You! How could you!? Look what you've done to him! You had already won and yet you still turned him into this! How could you, you mindless brute!?"

Issei took a step forward, causing Ravel Phoenix to flinch. He leaned down a bit to say it to her directly.

"You heard your daddy, missy. Your shitty big bro did this to himself. I did nothing more than protect my friends and my life. If you've got a problem with that, say it clearly to me. I'll listen to all of your complaints."

To his words, Ravel Phoenix was left speechless. Sirzechs placed a hand on Issei's shoulder, prompting him to take a step back.

"Now, now, I'd prefer if you didn't incapacitate two Phoenix children in one day, haha. Tell me, Hyoudou Issei, was that request from before the only thing you had in mind? It may have worked out as you wished, but that was less because of my influence and more circumstantial. So tell me, is there something else you'd like to request of me specifically?"

Issei groaned and rolled his eyes, thinking 'this again', wondering why Sirzechs wouldn't just forget about it. But then, Issei was struck with a certain idea that he couldn't ignore.

Issei leaned in and whispered it into Sirzechs's ear.

"—Tell me the truth about everything that happened _that day_."

(—!)

Sirzechs's eyes widened slightly, but he nodded when Issei pulled away.

"Very well. I can easily fulfill that request."

Having that settled, Issei found it unnecessary to continue talking with Sirzechs and walked away from him, approaching his friends instead. But when Issei was about to go to his friends, two unfamiliar individuals attempted to introduce themselves to Issei.

"Sekiryuutei, Hyoudou Issei, wasn't it? This is our first time meeting."

Two people had approached Issei, both bearing a strong resemblance to Rias and Sirzechs. Judging by their appearance, Issei could only assume that they were older siblings of Rias as well.

Zeoticus also spoke to Issei in a way that suggested for Issei to respond, but Issei did no such thing. He said nothing to Zeoticus or the woman beside him. Instead, because of his conflicted feelings towards Gremory, Issei decided it was best to ignore them both.

"..."

Issei walked away from them without saying anything, causing the two Gremory to look at each other dubiously. But before they could continue being confused about it, Sirzechs came up to discuss different things with them. In the background, the Phoenix family teleported away, returning to the underworld.

Issei approached his group with a casual attitude, despite how baffled they were by the entire situation.

"I-Ise-san, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Asia."

"Y-You really lost your head there, huh, Issei-sama?"

"What's up with you, Raynare? You're as pale as a ghost."

[But she's right, partner. You did lose yourself for a moment. Again. I was forced to activate an "Explosion" in order to prevent you from entering Balance Breaker instead, lest you ran the risk of entering "the Drive" thanks to your rage.]

"Yeah and thanks to that, I'm exhausted. I should've just used it in the first place. Woulda' been quicker."

[You were near the base level of Scale Mail thanks to that explosion anyway.]

"Who are you talking to, Ise-san?"

"It's Ddraig, Asia."

"Oh! Hello, Ddraig-san."

"Just leave him, Asia."

Issei simply began conversing with the two women while Rias and Akeno stood silently beside them, Rias still being in utter disbelief. Rias spoke up when she finally regained her voice.

"...Ise... You.."

Issei turned to Rias, who was struggling to find the right words to say.

"Ise, you… You did all of this... W-Why would you ask for…?"

Even though Rias couldn't finish her sentence properly, Issei easily deduced that she was alluding to Issei's "wish" concerning her and Raiser's marriage, and his participation in removing him from their lives. Issei looked away while rubbing the back of his neck and groaned. He dreaded having to say something like this.

Despite his hesitation, he still said it.

"You know…. The name of Gremory, you know… That name doesn't really mean shit in the human world, so…. You know…. To me, you're just that one kinda annoying friend of mine named Rias. I mean, I know I've got a thing for Gremory, but…. You're not really as much "Gremory" as you are "that red-headed brat". Yeah. The bratty Devil with red hair, "Rias"….. And that's it... Right?"

Issei groaned before making it clear one last time.

"Basically… To me, "Gremory" doesn't really mean shit— er, when it comes to you, anymore, I guess. So, something like "what worth are you without it?" is… Well, to me, you're just...Rias. My fuckin' spoiled, nosy, bratty Devil friend named "Rias"... You know?"

Issei hated the fact that he repeated himself so many times. He was never good with giving people uplifting words of inspiration or anything similar.

 _'..Ugh, Marie. Help me out here.'_

Issei chastised himself for not being able to come up with anything more than that, feeling that his reply was lackluster. And feeling stupid for trying in the first place.

—But to Rias, they were the greatest words Issei could have said to her, and it caused tears to fall from her eyes.

"...Ise.."

And Rias unexpectedly threw herself onto Issei and hugged him tightly.

"..Ise!"

"Wha..?!"

"Thank you, Ise… My Ise.."

Rias was holding onto and caressing Issei in a gentle manner. Meanwhile, Issei didn't know what to do with his hands, and his two fellow house residents were at a loss for words, while Akeno was just making a surprised "Ara, Ara" sound. Though, Asia was more smiling with a confused question mark over her head.

"..Oy, you shitty princess, your family is still around. What's with you? Knock it off, will ya?"

Although Issei voiced his discontent with Rias's actions, she didn't seem to budge. Issei just awkwardly placed his hands on Rias's shoulders, as if wanting to remove her, but being hesitant to do so. Issei glanced at Rias's family, but Sirzechs was smiling back at him.

"Sirzechs, it can't be that you planned for all of this to happen, could it?"

Sirzechs responded to his father's suspicion without removing his smile from Issei's direction.

"Of course not, Otou-ue. Knowing the exact future is beyond my power. But my intuition has never been wrong."

Issei clicked his tongue at Sirzechs who was looking at him, but then he groaned and sighed at his supposed misfortune.

"...The hell are you muggin' at? Tch, damn Devils… Oy, Rias, you're lucky I'm holding this cross in my hand, otherwise, you'd be fuckin' burning alive right now… Man, what a fuckin' pain."

Issei let out a sigh while looking up at the sky and holding his cross in his palm. Even though he was tired, and slightly annoyed, he felt oddly..."comfortable" with this outcome.

An outcome he wouldn't regret.

And if it wasn't God that was looking out for him from above, at the very least, someone else must have been.

* * *

— _Later that night, at an unknown location._

"Sirzechs-sama, I have brought him."

"Ah, thank you, Grayfia. You may leave us."

Issei had been transported to somewhere he didn't recognize, arriving in a room with Grayfia, in order to meet Sirzechs again.

"Welcome, Hyoudou Issei. It feels like we're seeing each other very often lately."

"Cut the shit. I came here for a reason. Now, tell me the truth."

Of course, Issei was unresponsive to Sirzechs's friendliness and shut him down. Issei was here for one reason and one reason only.

—To learn the truth about what happened on the day of the Kuoh disaster.

Sirzechs gained a serious expression and stood against a balcony to explain it.

"It was an attack."

"Tch. Yeah, no fuckin' shit. I knew that already."

"But you don't know who did it."

That reply silenced Issei immediately. And Issei's eyes became dark.

"...Who did it?"

Sirzechs turned away from Issei while explaining it.

"..At the time, we didn't know. There weren't enough details on the specifics of the attack to reach a conclusion about anything. All we knew for sure was that my father was the main target for the attack, and Rias was to be taken as a "beneficial collateral" to it. It was the day he was showing her the territory after all. But that made it clear that it had to be someone on the inside who knew that was taking place that day. An investigation was launched, but not much was found. The most believed theory was that the long deceased "Old Maou Faction" was behind the attack, but I won't bore you with history about that. To put it simply, it was believed that it was related to some sort of civil, political dispute, and that the attack was emblematic of that. However, there were still a few details that we didn't understand. Certain methods were uncovered that suggested that it may not have been the work of Devils at all, or that Devils were only partly responsible. It was confusing, to say the least. But in the end, we did end up recovering a somewhat reasonable conclusion due to some recent rumors."

"..And what is that?"

"There were rumors that certain inexplicable attacks were being done on various factions, including our own, but all perpetrated by the same "group". These rumors started because there were attacks being done by those who weren't from opposing factions, and some of them were just inexplicable. For example, many years ago, there was an attack at an important church in France, done by a group of cultists called "Genesis". It was an attack that took place because of an Angel named Gabriel, who was suspected to be the target of the attack. But when the attack was investigated, it was found to be done by a Sacred Gear possessor who had their powers "expanded" upon. When that power was investigated, it was shown not to be the influence of Devil magic, Fallen-Angels, or even wizards. It was something...bizarre, and unstable... Perhaps dragonic... This begs the question, why would a _Catholic_ centered cult bomb a Catholic church with an _Angel_ as a target? And more importantly, what allowed the Sacred Gear user's power to _increase_ like that? Our informants were only able to gather this much information, but it was enough to distinguish a pattern. After all, aren't the circumstances behind the two attacks similar?"

Issei spoke with a voice full of suspicion and scorn.

"...You're saying that there's an unknown group behind these attacks, and that they were involved with Genesis..?!"

"Involved, yes. To what extent is unknown. It was speculated to be a minor influence. But you know of Genesis, Hyoudou Issei?"

Sirzechs questioned Issei dubiously, and Issei replied with an exasperated scoff.

"Hmph! I was the guy who wiped them out of Japan."

Sirzechs eyes widened at Issei's declaration.

"You? But that happened years ago. You would have to have been a boy."

"I was. It took me three years."

Sirzechs made an astonished expression.

"...Unbelievable. So it was you who single-handedly destroyed that sect of Genesis?"

"...No, I had help."

Issei shifted his eyes and he held onto his cross, but his expression of hatred hardly softened.

"..I see. Up until now, it was believed that it was only the efforts of a lone exorcist who dismantled them."

Issei's eyes widened and he pressed Sirzechs aggressively.

"Does that mean that she was given credit for it?! Was she honored for her success?!"

Sirzechs was taken aback by the sudden question, but he answered anyway.

"..According to what I've heard, that person came to be seen as a hero to the Catholic church and her image was taken as a great inspiration for many exorcists worldwide. There was even a division of a prestigious exorcist group named after them."

Issei's heart was filled with the most conflicted emotions at hearing what Sirzechs had told him.

In one part, his heart was filled with joy, for Marie had become an honored figure to the Catholic church, just like she'd always deserved.

But in another part, there was an absolute rage. Disgust and hatred for those bastards who initially sent Marie out there to die in the first place.

How dare they? First, they disgrace her and send her away from the church, doomed to fail, abandon her in another country, and then when she finally dies, they use her as an "inspiring poster child" for the Catholic church?

How dare they?

The Catholic church— They have caused Asia suffering, and they caused Marie suffering, all for their own gains.

There was a deep, deep hatred developing in Issei's heart for that accursed organization ordained by the accursed God.

Perhaps this hatred ran as deeply as Issei's hatred for Gremory.

— _No, over time, it was surely beginning to run much, much deeper._

"Hyoudou Issei."

Sirzechs called for Issei's attention with an interested face.

"...If I am making my deductions correctly, you are familiar with this church figure because you worked with her to eliminate Genesis. Does this mean that you were actually once affiliated with the church in the past?"

Issei scoffed angrily, but his features soon became softer.

"No fucking way….. But, she was my friend.."

Sirzechs noticed Issei's tick of shutting his right eye and holding his cross, and he made a connection using that.

"..That item on your chest belonged to her, correct?"

"...Yeah, it did."

"I see. I understand now. That must mean that it was truly a coincidence that Raiser made contact with it. You never planned on using it."

"...Yeah."

"I see. I suppose you didn't need it, after all. In that case, you have my condolences. From what I've heard, the crimes of Genesis were horrendous. They live on in infamy. Even us of the high society of the underworld know about it. Your friend must have been a brave exorcist."

"...The bravest.."

 _'..And she was certainly no coward!'_

Issei could only think that in contempt after remembering that the church had labeled her an 'incompetent coward' before sending her out to Japan.

This hatred was building even greater and greater by the moment.

 _Perhaps if Issei ever thinks of shaking heaven or hell, he may aim towards the sky and the filthy altars located under their clouds._

"Lucifer… Tell me... This "group" that has no name...are they still around?"

Sirzechs's nodded his head to Issei's question.

"Yes, because there have been various attacks on different factions, they are still considered to be operational."

"..They attack other factions?"

"It seems so. If you recall, I mentioned the attack on the Catholic church, which was meant to be a hit on the faction of heaven. If we assume that it is the same group who coordinated both attacks, then they must attack indiscriminately. It is assumed that it was the same group because of the similar lack of details in both cases, and also, other future attacks which lacked concrete details and motives. If this is the case, then it is undeniably "that group"."

"...From what you're telling me, they just sound like a bunch of terrorists."

"With their indiscriminate attacks which involve collateral casualties towards uninvolved parties, like with Kuoh, I couldn't agree more."

The air between Issei and Sirzechs went heavy and silent.

It wasn't until Issei asked Sirzechs the most fateful question of his entire life that the silence fell away.

"...And that group….. What is its name?"

"We haven't come up with anything official… But, some have begun to call them…."

And so, the name of Marie, and Issei's parent's, _truest_ murderers was revealed to him.

"..The [ **Khaos Brigade** ].."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

— _And upon hearing that name, Issei's glare became a level of darkness that only rivaled the pitch blackness of the pupils contained within his red serpentine eyes._

 _ **"..KHAOS BRIGADE..!"**_

* * *

 **Aftermath**

* * *

 ** _Ding, dong~_**

"Yeah, yeah, I'm comin', goddammit."

Issei groaned as he walked to the door after hearing the doorbell in the early morning. It has been a few days since Issei had his face-off with Raiser Phoenix. It was now the weekend and Issei was off from school.

That being said, he wondered who was visiting him today.

"Alright, who the hell is it?"

When Issei opened the door, he saw someone he, logically, should've expected.

"Good morning, Ise."

Rias appeared before Issei to offer him a smile on her face.

"Rias… What the hell do ya want?"

"Help me out, will you? It's better to get this done by the morning so we don't have to worry about it later."

Rias said that and strutted away from the door towards the gate. Having little energy to resist, Issei groaned and stepped out of his house.

"What is it now, dammit? I swear if another fuckin' Devil has come up to marry you, I'm not helping ya out."

"Of course not, Ise. By this point, anyone in the underworld would know better than to challenge the Sekiryuutei. Thanks for that, by the way."

"I don't know what challengin' me and tryin' to marry you have anything to do with one another, but you're welcome, I fuckin' guess."

"Oh trust me, they're closely related."

"Literally how? —Also, what's with the truck?"

Issei then pointed towards the seemingly random moving truck stationed in front of his house.

"Ah, this? Well, it's obvious, isn't it? I thought it would be alright if I moved in with you and Asia."

Rias said that with a smile and Issei just stood there silently.

Probably because he hadn't registered what she said.

"...Come again?"

"I said that I'm here to move in with you. The truck contains all of my belongings. It's best to unload it now so we don't have to worry later. Don't worry, Ise. I know you're a big, strong man but I'll help you out as well. Of course, you'll still be carrying the biggest boxes, ufufu. Now, let's get started. Take this one first."

Rias handed the perfectly still Issei a box before going to grab one herself.

It still took a second for Issei to understand it.

"...Wait. —No, wait, wait, wait, wait a fuckin' second. Did you just say that you were "moving in"?... You, moving in, to my house, without my permission?"

"I realize that it's sudden, but this was also a suggestion by my brother himself. After all, he thinks that it's best that we Devils build the closest possible relationship with the current Sekiryuutei. And what better way to prove that possible than by having me, who is your best friend, live peacefully in the same household with you? He also says that the fact that you would have multiple different races with different beliefs living under one roof would be an interesting experiment. You do already have a Fallen-Angel and Catholic sister in your home after all. I agree with Onii-sama's sentiment, but I'm more concerned with deepening my bond with you rather than everything else."

"Okay, okay, stop. —You're movin' into my house, the house of my parents, without my permission?"

"Oh, come now, Ise. It isn't as if you don't have any room."

 _ **Clang!**_

Issei immediately dropped the box that he was holding, and his face became dark.

"—Watch what you say, Rias."

Rias then realized her unintended implication and quickly apologized.

"A-Ah, no, I didn't mean it that way, Ise.. I swear. Believe me when I say that I would never say such an inconsiderate thing. I'm truly sorry."

Realizing Rias's remorse, Issei's expression lightened up and he sighed.

"...I believe you. Haah, dammit."

Issei picked up the box that he dropped and walked over to the truck, placing it back in its rightful place. He then turned to Rias and gave her a serious talk.

"Listen, Rias. I know you probably didn't mean anything by it, but what you're doing here _is_ inconsiderate. Remember, this is the human world, princess. "Gremory" holds no weight here. You can't just ask for anything you want and expect for it to be given to you. That won't work up here. Something like this is… You can't just do it, even if the Devil-king tells ya to. It's not that simple. —You get what I'm saying?"

Issei said that to Rias, not in a threatening manner, but in an informative one. He wasn't scolding her, just giving her advice. And that fact ended up perplexing him internally.

Rias stood there silently and thought about Issei's words for a moment. After a while, Rias nodded her head in understanding.

"..Yes. I understand, Ise. You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done something like this so rashly. Maybe I was too excited at the idea and got carried away. You know how little experience I have with these things. I overstepped a boundary that I should have respected. I apologize."

"...As long as you understand.. But yeah, I get it. I've come to know a lot of things about you I could've done damn well without, after all."

"Yes, and I'm sure you know how impulsive I am by now."

"More like naive."

"Ufufu, I suppose I am. But I'm only as naive as you are foul mouthed, Ise."

"Go to hell."

"Oh, Ise, don't be silly. I only return home during the summer."

Rias giggled at their interaction, and Issei merely shook his head, wondering why it was making him smirk just a bit.

Issei glanced down at Rias, who was staring up at him with a soft smile without saying anything. Issei averted his gaze awkwardly.

"..Uh, well, anyway. I'll at least drive back with you and help you put this stuff back, I guess."

Issei offered his assistance, but Rias shook her head with a smile.

"No, it's alright, Ise. I've got this covered."

"Huh? Um, you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Ise. Don't go worrying about me now."

"No, I wasn't."

"Ufufu, you're so cute when you're worried, Ise."

"I— Ugh… Nevermind. Just get out of here, you're takin' up space in the neighborhood. We Japanese don't like havin' trucks like these out here. I'm going back to sleep."

Issei said it while walking back to his house.

"Don't sleep too much, Ise! You'll end up shedding your scales by accident!"

"Go eat some mosquitos, red flyin' fox, they're in season right now!"

"My hair is crimson not red, Ise!"

"Just shut up and take the insult, Devil brat!"

Issei then shut the door to his house's entrance, cutting his and Rias's "wordplay fest" off short. He leaned up against the door with an exasperated sigh.

"...Geez, I can't believe I just let her off the hook like that. The me from a few months ago would've just killed her…. Then again, I did just save her from that Raiser bastard so that would've been a waste.. But didn't I just do that to let off steam? Haah, honestly, who the hell even am I anymore?"

 _The Next Morning:_

 _Ding, dong~_

"Ugh! Who the hell is it this time?"

"Hello, Ise."

Issei opened the door only to find Rias there again.

And so, the door was shut in her face.

 _ **Ding, dong~ Ding, dong~!**_

Issei opened the door to a Rias with half closed eyes.

"That was rude, Ise!"

"What the hell do ya want this time?!"

"I need your help again. There are still heavy boxes."

Rias gestured towards the front of Issei's yard, and there was a moving truck outside.

"Uggh! Not this shit again! I told you, you can't just move into someone's house without permission!"

"I'm not, Ise! I have full permission!"

"When did I give you permission?!"

"I didn't need your permission, Ise! Look!"

Issei looked over at the place Rias was pointing at, only to realize that the moving truck wasn't directly in front of his house, but rather the neighbor's.

"...Uh, the truck is a little to the left?"

Rias sighed and shook her head.

"What am I going to do with you?"

Issei scowled, thinking to himself: 'that's my line.'

"Ise, I'm not going to be living in your house. You see, I'm going to be living…"

Rias walked closer to the edge of the yard and gestured to the neighbor's house in a dramatic way.

"—In this house!"

Issei's face went blank in response.

"...You got the neighbor's to let you live in their house?"

"More than that, Ise. I purchased it from them. It's my home now."

"Wait, what? You bought it?"

"Yes, I did."

"Wha..?! How?!"

"Using my resources in the underworld, of course."

Issei smacked his own face with his palm.

"After we just had a talk about not getting everything you want using your status _yesterday_..! Ugh… You've got to be kidding me."

"I did take what you said to me to heart, Ise. But I realized that there are certain ways to get what you want without it having to be at the expense of others. And if that option is available, then why not take it?"

"It certainly was at the expense of the Shidou family though!"

"Hmm? I thought the neighbor's family name was Wakamura?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, you're right. The Wakamura family…"

"Oh, come now, Ise. Don't act like they were given a bad deal. They're probably travelling the world with their money right now. And considering that I was still able to take a step closer to achieving my goal of deepening my bond with you, I'd say it's a win-win. The best possible outcome."

"Ugh… Yep, you're a Devil, through and through."

"Yep. And a Devil's greed knows no bounds."

Rias finished by playfully winking and sticking her tongue out at Issei.

Issei shook his head and sighed.

"How the hell did you even get the Wakamuras out so fast, I never even noticed."

"Easy. I had some assistance from a group of Gremory servants from the underworld yesterday."

Issei paused.

"Wait, why don't you just have the Gremory servants come back and help you move in?"

"Hmm? I can't just have them help me two days in a row. You said it yourself, Ise, I should stop relying on my underworld resources. Besides, I have you here."

Issei simply went deadpan.

And then he walked back towards his house.

"Ah, w-wait!"

Rias grabbed onto Issei's arm to stop him. She looked up at him and said it with a rosy cheeks.

"...A-Actually, I just wanted to be close to you… I'm sorry."

Issei stared at Rias silently, prompting her cheeks to become even more flushed and her face to become sad.

Then, Issei lifted his head towards the sky and let out the longest and most exasperated groan of his entire life.

"UUUUGGGGGHHH!"

While looking at the sky, Issei thought:

 _'..I did it to myself, didn't I, Marie?'_

And for some reason, that gave Issei a chuckle.

"..Hehehe, yeah."

When Issei finally leveled his head, he released a defeated sigh.

"...Fine, goddammit. Let's get to it."

Then Rias's lips curved into a dazzling smile that even Issei couldn't hate.

"Mm, let's!"

Rias walked forward while holding a tired Issei's arm in tow.

"...Ugh, Marie, give me strength."

"Mary? [Mother Mary]? I thought you weren't Catholic, Ise?"

"...Fucking hell."

—And so, for a brief amount of time, Issei's peaceful days returned to him. And though they were more than what he could have bargained for, it wasn't necessarily the worst outcome he could imagine.

And it somehow wasn't an outcome he regretted all that much.

* * *

 **PART ONE: END**

 **AND THERE IT IS, BOYS! THERE GOES PART 1 OF LONE DRAGON EMPEROR, FINALLY!**

 **The first major arc of LDE has come and gone! The next major arc/next part is right around the corner: Kokabiel + Peace treaty! Of course, Kokabiel comes first and OHOHOHO HOW FUCKING LONG I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT ONE! You got a taste of Issei's power today, sure. But with Kokabiel? OHOHOHOHO, YOU WILL _KNOW_ ISSEI'S POWER BY THEN! **

**Not gonna lie, I got really emotional at the end of this chapter. I was listening to some good old DxD season 1 ost and the original OP towards the end, and man, that got me. The nostalgia. Fuck me. I really do love High school DxD with all of my heart. Even with all of the stupid shit, even with the bad adaption, this series is still near and dear to my heart. If I ever do make it as a writer, I swear, I'm still probably gonna come back and secretly update these stories lol. Don't worry, that don't mean I'm going anywhere just yet. I'm just saying.**

 **Anyway, wanted to mention something extra to get your interest up for future arcs: In each of my major stories, there is usually one pantheon or mythology that takes center stage for the story as a whole, that influences the plot and themes pretty deeply. Red Dragon Of Golden Light = Norse mythology. A Fool's Heart = Greek mythology. Duality of Man = Christian mythology.**

 **For this one... Well, let's just say that, in the future arcs, our friends from far out in the desert might bring some heat..**

 **P.S. Some people wanted to know the significance behind Issei's eye color, here it is: Red = The "beast". Green = The "Dragon". Gold = "?"**

 **So, yeah! Tell me what y'all thought about this arc!**

 **Did you enjoy the dynamic between Raiser and Issei? Did you enjoy the fight between Sekiryuutei and Phoenix? Do you like the developments that Issei is gradually experiencing? Do you enjoy the pacing of his development? Do you like the new development and dynamic between Issei and Rias? Do you think Issei's positive development will define him first, or will darkness come to take him again, now that he knows of the BRIGADE? What will come of the next chapters and arcs? WHAT ABOUT THE KOKABIEL ARC?**

 **Read, Rate, Review go crazy you son's a bitches!**

 **Stay frosty!**


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